Pokemon Go - Tides of Change
by QuadRaptor
Summary: The leader of a Pokemon gym mysteriously disappears, then returns to find his Pokemon league has changed to the new "Three Team" system. He embarks on a journey to reclaim his original Pokemon team. However, he doesn't realize there was a reason for his disappearance...
1. Chapter 1 - Hyper Beam

Pokemon Go  
Tides of Change 

-Chapter 1-

 **Hyper Beam**

 _Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice or lightning_

 _Lest these titans bring devastation to the water and the sand._

 _Though the island's chosen champion returns to stop the fighting_

 _Alone his efforts will fail, thus Chaos claims the land._

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Rain Dance Gym! Please take your seats, today's match will begin in fifteen minutes!"

The Fire Islands League was the premier Pokemon league. Set on an island chain, each island housed a unique city that specialized in a variety of Pokemon types. From the volcanic shores of Lavatic Island to the bustling Industrial Island, each location of the League would prove a challenge to trainers of all skill levels.

Of the many islands in the Fire Islands League, the destination for water-type Pokemon was none other than Rain Dance Island. At the perfect latitude for tropical waters, the island was surrounded by a reef that was home to a vast variety of water-type Pokemon. The island was famous for being a sanctuary for Lapras, and thus the rare Pokemon was frequently seen in pods just off the shoreline. Due to their protected status, it was strictly forbidden to capture a Lapras on Rain Dance Island without first obtaining a Rain Dance Badge from the gym leader.

Each island had their own quirks and charm, and on Rain Dance Island, watching gym battles was a tourist attraction. Mariner City's gym sat on the edge of town, near the shoreline, and was a large arena with plenty of seating. The city's residents piled into the stands and eagerly awaited to see who would challenge the Rain Dance Gym Leader. In the center of the arena was a large pool, though both the Gym Leader and the Challenger could control their side of the field, leaving the pool partially open or closed to accommodate their Pokemon. A platform could be extended to cover part of the pool.

"My name is Ed, and I am your announcer for this evening's battle! Everyone ready?", Ed stood on a platform above the arena, speaking into a microphone. A cheer sounded in the crowd. "Today's challenger hails from Celadon City! Seeking her third Fire Islands League badge, please welcome...Rose!"

There was applause from the crowd as the female trainer stepped forward, wearing a straw hat with appropriate roses attached, she was dressed in a stylized shirt for the Celadon City Gym with shorts and walking shoes. She sat her bag down next to her, swayed her flowing blonde hair, and gave a wave to the audience. She had already pressed the control for her side to remain a platform for the match.

The arena fell silent, as Ed continued, "And now, Mariner City! Your Gym Leader, a native of Rain Dance Island! His name is Marleon Takenawa, but you know him as...Gyarados!"

A large door opened, that was partially submerged in the pool. At first glance, no one was behind the door, though a dark shadow was seen underneath the water. Suddenly, a large splash erupted from the pool, as a Lapras emerged, tossing his head upward. A slender man with long, shiny black hair was catapulted into the air. He did a flip before plummeting and positioning his legs just right to land on the tip of the Lapras' snout. His bare feet connected, and he checked his footing, before standing upright and giving a salute. The crowd erupted in cheers, the Gym Leader smiled and waved before his Lapras lowered his head to let him down. He hopped off and gave Lapras a rub on the head before returning him to his ball. He wore an aquatic tanktop and swimshorts, and slipped some sandals on that were next to the pool. He had a distinct scar along his right shoulder. Marleon always chose a different Pokemon from his team to appear with him, who would not be featured in the battle. And the performance before the battle did not always go so perfectly. He looked over to Rose and gave her a nod. She nodded back, and they took their places.

"Rain Dance Rules are as follows – this will be a three versus three match, best two out of three wins. Three different Pokemon must be used by both trainers, Gyarados will choose the first Pokemon for Rounds One and Three if necessary, and Rose will choose first Pokemon for Round Two. Challenger ready?", Ed pointed to Rose. She gave a thumbs up. "Ready, Gyarados?", Ed pointed to Marleon, and he raised his hand with his first Pokeball. "Here we go folks!"

"Alright Drago, let's go!", Marleon called out as he threw his Pokeball, which sank into the pool on his side, and in a flash of light, a powerful Gyarados emerged and roared loudly. He smiled and patiently waited for Rose's choice. He normally didn't nickname his Pokemon, but since his own nickname was Gyarados, he picked one for his Pokemon as not to cause confusion. Rose chuckled, "Here we go, Jolteon!", she announced and tossed her Pokeball. It bounced on the metal pool covering and out came a Jolteon, who sparked in anticipation. Marleon grimaced, this round was going to be tough considering his Gyarados' double weakness to electric types. "Sorry girl, this is going to hurt.", he mouthed toward Drago, but then called, "Drago, Aqua Tail!" The Gyarados reared and brought down a powerful smash into the metal plate, but the Jolteon moved out of the way just in time.

"Thunder wave!", Rose called, and the Jolteon sparked and sent out a surge of static that connected with Drago. The female Gyarados groaned, and sizzled with the electrical current which caused her to be paralyzed. "Damn...Drago, use Dragon Rage!", Marleon commanded. The Gyarados attempted to charge up her Dragon Rage, but the paralysis was too much for her to handle, and she sank a bit under the water. Rose grinned, and pointed at Drago, "Jolteon, hit it with Thunder!" The Eevee evolution began to glow a bright yellow, and unleashed a powerful blast of electricity that hit Gyarados right on the crown of her head. The water-type roared out in pain, and then fell back, splashing in the water and fainting. Rose smiled. "Too easy", she boasted.

"And Drago is down! Round one goes to Rose!", Ed announced. The crowd cheered and applauded, as Marleon recalled Drago and Rose recalled her Jolteon. There was a digital scoreboard that made an audible chime, with Marleon and Rose's pictures as well as the Pokemon used. A red "X" covered Drago the Gyarados on the board.

"Rose, you pick first this round!", Ed announced. Rose took her next Pokeball and hurled it into the air. "Come on out, Magneton!", she called, and the Pokeball popped open mid-air, the metallic Pokemon appearing. Marleon held up his own Pokeball, "Alright then, if you insist...Quagsire!", he tossed the Pokeball and a sleek water-and-ground type emerged. Rose blinked, "Wait, what? You're battling with _that_?", she asked. The Gym Leader crossed his arms, "Well? Are you going to attack or not?", he responded. Rose blinked once again, and then commanded, "Magneton, use Spark!" The Pokemon clanged and spun, and sent out a spark of electricity that hit Quagsire. However, the Gym Leader's Pokemon stood there and yawned wide, the attack almost seemed to bounce right off of him. "Huh?", Rose pondered. Marleon smiled, "Don't underestimate Quagsire. He's one of my best. Now, attack him again."

Rose huffed, "Thunder!", and Magneton charged and glowed, before unleashing a similar blast of powerful lightning much like Jolteon had done. However, seemed to do nothing to affect Quagsire. "What is going on?", Rose questioned. Marleon pointed to Magneton, "Mud slap, Quagsire!" The Pokemon finally moved and dipped under the water, gathering some mud before emerging and tossing the glob of mud at Magneton. He was quite accurate, and hit the steel-and-electric type perfectly. Rose clenched her fist, "Come on, Magneton! Try a Thunder Wave!", she commanded. The electric Pokemon shuddered, disoriented from getting mud in its eyes. Marleon laughed, "Don't tell me you only taught Magneton electric attacks..." Rose grimaced, "Of course I did! To take you down!", she shouted back. Marleon shook his head, "You're not going to win this round then. Quagsire isn't just a water type, he's also a ground type. Your electric attacks don't do a thing to him."

She realized mentally her error. "Fine, then I'll use someone else!", she held her Pokeball out, "Return, Magneton!" But as the red beam came out of the Pokeball and Magneton began to return, she remembered the gym rules. It was too late, Magneton glowed a red and vanished, and Ed immediately called out, "Rose forfeits Round Two!". The scoreboard chimed again, now tied 1-1. The crowd exploded in cheers and excitement. Rose sighed, that wasn't what she meant to do. "Gym Leader Marleon, you choose for the final battle!", Ed called out.

He returned Quagsire, and as he hit the switch to close up the pool on his side of the field, he picked his last ball, a special looking one. "We'll finish this off with...Dragonite!", he announced, and throwing the ball into the air, it popped open and a strong golden Dragon-Type emerged and hit the ground with a thud. The Dragonite was much more intimidating than his previous two Pokemon, with a glare in his eyes that connected with Rose's own. His body was covered in deep scars as well. "And for Rose's Pokemon...", Ed began and the crowd waited to see what she had in store. She adjusted her hat, and closed her eyes. "Well, I wasn't planning on using her, but you've left me no choice. Tyranitar! I choose you!", she announced, and before she can get the Pokeball out of her hand, it opened and an equally impressive female Tyranitar emerged. The Tyranitar was eager, and Marleon noticed immediately that she was a high leveled one. Mentally, he recalled that Rose only had two gym badges. This wasn't good, he recognized it at once that Tyranitar may be too strong for her to train. "Dragonite, let's start with a Fire Punch!", he called. The Dragonite nodded and clenched his fist, engulfing it in flames before he charged at Tyranitar. "Tyranitar, crunch!", Rose called, and the fight commenced, Dragonite landing his Fire Punch while Tyranitar sunk her teeth into Dragonite's shoulder. "Dragon Tail, Dragonite!", Marleon shouted. Dragonite squirmed from the bite, and Tyranitar wasn't letting go. "Tyranitar, Dark Pulse!", Rose called, but Tyranitar carried on with the Crunch, ignoring her order. Dragonite finally got into position where he could twist, and his tail slammed into Tyranitar's head, knocking the Dark-type down. He backed away, exhaling while Tyranitar began to recover.

Marleon seized the opportunity, "Hyper Beam, Dragonite!". Dragonite knew his trainer well, which was why he backed up. He opened his mouth, a surge of powerful energy accumulated in his maw, and just as Tyranitar stood up, he unleashed the Hyper Beam. It connected with Tyranitar, who was pushed back and roared in pain. The blast caused the Dark-type to be enveloped in dust, and once the beam fizzled out, Dragonite collapsed to one knee. He exhaled, and began to recover. Marleon also sighed, there was no way Tyranitar could have sustained that hit. The crowd, both trainers, and Dragonite waited for the dust to settle.

And to everyone's shock, Tyranitar was still standing. Marleon's heart sank at the sight. Rose called, "Tyranitar, you okay?", The Dark-type shook off, and without warning, began to charge at Dragonite. "Wait, Tyranitar!", Rose called, but Tyranitar was too focused, ignoring her. "Dragonite, move!", Marleon called, and Dragonite tried to stand but he was winded. He was on his feet about the time Tyranitar slammed into him. She forced Dragonite on his back, and bit into his throat with an Ice Fang. Dragonite gasped and squirmed, but couldn't break the bite, and began to choke. "Rose, call her back!", Marleon shouted at the challenger. Rose only watched, stunned. She lost focus, just watching as Tyranitar continued to choke Dragonite with her jaws. "Rose!", Marleon yelled. She didn't budge. "Damn it!", the Gym Leader held his Pokeball out, and in a moment, Dragonite was returned. Tyranitar flinched as her prey vanished before her, and she at once glared at Marleon, standing up and started to walk toward him. Marleon put a hand on Lapras' Pokeball, but before he could call Lapras out, Tyranitar began to glow red and vanished right as she went to lunge. Rose had recalled her right at the last moment.

Marleon exhaled. That was too close. And then he closed his eyes and sighed. Another loss. "And that's the battle! Challenger Rose has won!", Ed announced. The scoreboard chimed with a red "X" over Dragonite, and then Rose's picture expanded with the words "Winner" blinking. It took Rose a few moments to realize she had even won the battle, both she and Marleon were shaken from the last round. But then she finally raised Tyranitar's Pokeball to the sky and began to celebrate. Marleon smiled a bit. He was disappointed in the loss, but he knew that another badge would help Rose with her situation with Tyranitar. The badges weren't just symbols of achievement, they were tied directly to Pokeball technology, and each one strengthened the bond between a trainer and their Pokemon.


	2. Chapter 2 - Surf

-Chapter 2-

 **Surf**

Marleon approached Rose, "Well that was fun.", he exhaled. She nodded back, "Look, I'm sorry about-", she began to say, but Marleon shook his head, "Dragonite will be fine. He's survived much worse than that. Might take him a day or two to, you know...recover his pride." Rose smiled and nodded, "I'll keep working on Tyranitar. I caught her fully evolved on Shadow Psychrome Island.", she explained. Marleon crossed his arms, "Well that explains the disobedience. But don't worry, the more badges you collect, the more she'll trust you. I will say though...she had the right idea with getting Dragonite with that Ice Fang. He's weak against ice types after all.", he responded.

Some of the crowd had left, but there was a good portion still there to watch Rose win her Rain Dance Badge. Ed had also joined the two of them and handed them microphones so the crowd could hear their conversation. Marleon reached into his pocket and presented the badge, "Well, you've definitely won a Rain Dance Badge!", he handed it to her. The badge was circular and blue, but with violet swirls on it, looking much like a whirlpool. Rose accepted the badge and held it up to show the crowd. They applauded at the sight, as she pinned it to her shirt next to the Charge Badge and the Psylink Badge. "With this badge, you also get the privilege to catch a Lapras here on Rain Dance Island. We hold an event at Lapras Lagoon near Hydrofoil Town every few days, in fact it'll take place this afternoon. We have another winner who will be participating, so you're welcome to join us.", Marleon explained. Rose shook her head, "I'll come back for that sometime, but I think I want to continue to challenge the gyms. I'm going after the Fire Islands Championship!", she spoke, the crowd clapping and cheering her on. Marleon nodded, "You can come back any time. So, who are you going to challenge next?", he asked. Rose grinned, "I'll be taking on Mike Thunderbird for the Thunderbird Badge!"

 _"I accept your challenge!"_ , someone called from the crowd. Everyone looked up to the bleachers to see a man with spiked hair, wearing a jacket covered in thunderbolts standing before them all. Ed took Marleon's microphone and announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I don't believe it! From New Thunderbird Isle, the gym leader Mike Thunderbird is here! Let's give him a warm welcome to Rain Dance Island!", and applause rung through the gym. Rose looked up to Mike and nodded. "I'm looking forward to our battle, Mike!", she spoke, and then handing the microphone back, she looked to Marleon, "Well, I need to find the Pokemon Center. Thanks again for the fun.", she extended a hand. Marleon shook her hand and nodded, "Mike will be a tough opponent, but I know you can win. The Pokemon Center will be a few blocks down to your left." And as Rose turned to leave, waving to the last bits of the crowd who stayed, Marleon looked back up to the bleachers, and met eyes with Mike. He already knew something was up with Mike showing up on Rain Dance Island.

Marleon shook Ed's hand, "Hey thanks for being my announcer, you really get the locals riled up here. It's great." Ed laughed, "My pleasure, I love this job! You've got a few days off, right?", he asked. Marleon nodded, "Our next opponent will be here on the weekend." And as Ed left, the only other person at the gym was Mike. He finally joined Marleon on the gym's battlefield.

"Hello Marleon.", Mike spoke. The water-type gym leader nodded, "If you're here, I'm sure it's important. What's up?", Marleon responded. Mike crossed his arms, "Unfortunately, we need to talk. The League Commissioner isn't too happy about your performance as of late.", he responded. Marleon motioned that he needed to walk over to his office on the far side of the arena, and Mike followed. The office wasn't much, a small room in the corner with a desk and some machines. One of the machines was a transporter that he could send his Pokemon directly to the Pokemon Center through. He put Drago and Dragonite's Pokeballs in the slot and contacted the center. Nurse Joy appeared on the monitor, "Hello Gyarados...oh, hello Mr. Thunderbird! I didn't expect to see you there too!", she said. "Hey Joy, I'm just sending two over today.", Marleon said. "Very well, reception is open.", Nurse Joy spoke, and afterward, the machine whirred and the two Pokeballs began to glow brightly and then vanished.

Marleon turned back to Mike, "Sorry, I wanted to get that taken care of first. So what's this about the commissioner?", he asked. Mike walked over to one of the computer terminals and typed on the keyboard. He brought up Marleon's record – with details on the Gym Leader's history. The numbers were impressive at first, he had a 70% win rate, but then the percentage began to decline. Each year, the numbers fell, until the most recent update with the battle against Rose added in. The number was at an abysmal 32%. The Rain Dance Gym Leader began to rub his head, "I knew it...", he sighed. Mike looked back, "I'm sorry, Marleon. But the rules are there for a reason. With this last battle, you are under your quota. The League expects gym leaders to maintain at least a 50% average win rate, and the minimum requirement is 33%."

Marleon closed his eyes. "So what does this mean?", he asked. "The league will probably start to look for a replacement for the Rain Dance Gym.", Mike responded, pressing the button to close out the screen. "All my hard work...this is my dream! They can't-", Marleon began, but he hesitated. "I...I can't lose this..."

Mike looked at the wall of the office. "I will admit, you are very qualified for this position. After all, I think you have the most impressive collection of badges I've ever seen.", he said. One wall of the office had several display cases, each containing the badges from Pokemon leagues spanning the globe. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn...even the Orange Islands League and other lesser known ones. Every badge was earned by Marleon, though he didn't always participate in the championship tournament afterward. He was a badge collector and gym leader fan. "Though, you are missing a set.", Mike said, and typed on the keyboard once more. A brochure popped up on the screen for the Kalos League. Marleon stared at the screen for a few moments. "I've wanted to go, but...I can't leave the Rain Dance Gym." Mike smiled, "How about I make you a promise, then? Go to Kalos and prove to us that you are Gyarados, the one and only gym leader of Rain Dance Island. Think of it as a sabbatical, we'll have someone to take care of your responsibilities here while you're gone. And when you return with a fresh set of badges, we'll have you take on a few challengers. If your ratio improves, you'll have nothing to worry about."

Marleon looked back up to the screen. He thought about it, and realized he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. "Alright. I'll do it.", he said. "If only to meet Wulfric, I'd like to add some more ice types to my team since Lapras is the only one I have at the moment. I think he'd be able to help me with the balancing." Mike nodded, "Good, I'll let the commissioner know the plan. Take a few days to get ready, and I'll have someone competent to handle the Rain Dance Gym before you leave." Mike turned and walked out of the office. Marleon stepped out as well, "Mike...", he spoke. The Thunderbird Gym Leader stopped, not turning around. "How did you know...that I was going to lose the battle today?", Marleon asked. "Let's just say that I trusted my instincts to be here today.", he turned back to Marleon and looked him in the eye, "There is no success or failure, there is only progress. When things aren't going the way you expect them to, it's time to change some things and try again.", and with that, Mike departed. Marleon stood alone in his gym. "No success or failure?", he questioned.

He closed up the gym, taking his fishing rod and tackle box as he began to walk down the streets of Mariner City. It was a nice, bright day, and the humid wind blew gently. The smell of seafood roasting was intoxicating in the market, coupled with the small souvenir shops with kites swaying in the breeze and wooden chimes clanking with every nice gust. Nautical flags adorned the buildings, adding the sound of fabric flapping to the symphony. It all was familiar to Marleon. It all was home.

As he walked, he was greeted with waves and smiles. "Hey Gyarados!", one of the store owners called out. He gave a peace sign back with the hand he held his rod with. "That's the gym leader!", a pokemon trainer spoke to himself. Marleon heard it, and knew that would be another challenger. "Gyarados! Hey!", suddenly a girl came before him. She was holding an Aron in her arms, and Marleon stopped and gave a nod, "Oh hey Vicky, how's it going?" She smiled, "Great! I'm having a good visit here! I uhh...", she cleared her throat, "I wanted to ask if I could meet your Quagsire." The gym leader sat his supplies down, "Of course! You said you were interested in catching one of your own sometime, right? I think Quagsire would go really well with your ground-type theme.", as he took the Pokeball out of his pocket and released Quagsire. The Pokemon stood still, though yawning once again. "Oh he's lovely! Aron, wouldn't you just love to have a Quagsire friend?", Vicky asked her Pokemon. Aron tilted her head a bit, then quickly hid her face. Vicky smiled, "She's a little shy, sorry." Marleon chuckled, "I'm sure we'd be able to help you find a Wooper, though...probably would be better tomorrow. I've got a full day today." Vicky nodded, "Alright, that sounds great! I'll stop by the gym tomorrow then."

They parted ways once Quagsire was returned to his ball, and Marleon started to head on the road to Hydrofoil Town. The town was on the other side of the island, and he would pass by the Beachside Arena on the way there. The Arena was an outdoor venue for public Pokemon battles, and wasn't nearly as large as the Rain Dance Gym as far as seating but was perfect for trainers to battle outside of the urban areas of the island. As a matter of fact, the arena itself was just a flat area with outlines for the Pokemon to battle on. The stands weren't much, standard metal ones much like one would find at a baseball or a football field. As Marleon passed by, he took a glance and saw someone with a Ninetales facing another trainer with a Camerupt. He didn't recognize either of them, but he didn't stay to watch. A little while later he arrived at Hydrofoil Town. The town was famous for it's restaurants, especially having a diverse selection of cuisines to pick from. And with Marleon being a local celebrity, he often got to eat for free.

As he walked, one of the restaurant owners poked a head out of her shop, "Hey Gyarados! You having some noodles today? I've got a special bowl for you today!", she asked. He shook his head, "Sorry Sadie, I've-", Marleon began but he was interrupted, "Of course he's not having noodles! He's having a quesadilla from my store! Right Gyarados?", a man from another restaurant nearby called. Marleon shook his head again, "Sorry Jack, I had that yesterday, from your store remember? Actually...", he walked a little farther, and a woman met him by her door, "Here we are Gyarados!", as she handed him a small pizza box. He nodded, "Exactly what I was craving today, thanks Brandy!", then turned back to Sadie and Jack, "Sorry guys, I ordered this ahead before I got here." "Damn! Well you're having noodles tomorrow!", Sadie called, and Jack just began to laugh, "Ahh no, I'm sure he'll enjoy some of my fish tacos next!" The Gym Leader snickered and carried on, eventually making it to the pier that he enjoyed to fish from. He enjoyed the pizza and discarded the box in the recycle bin before he went to his spot on the pier. Reaching down to his belt, he tossed the three Pokeballs he had into the water, and let out Lapras, Lanturn, and Quagsire. "Alright, have fun but don't scare the fish from my spot. Still looking for that golden Magikarp, remember? And Lanturn, be mindful of the line." Lapras and Lanturn both nodded and began to splash and play in the water, swimming away from the pier. Quagsire just settled, yawning and relaxing. Ampharos stayed behind to wait for Dragonite and Drago the Gyarados to be returned from the Pokemon Center. The Gym Leader baited his line and threw the reel. He exhaled, relaxing. A tug on the line. He patiently waited for it tug harder, before he pulled and reeled in his line. "C'mon...hope you're a golden Magikarp...", he hoped, but as the hook emerged, he saw a Krabby hanging off of it. "Mmm...nope, not what I was looking for, but maybe you'll be good for-", he went to get an empty Pokeball, but by the time he gripped it in his hand, the Krabby let go of the line and splashed back in the water. Marleon blinked, and shrugged, baiting the line again and casting it.

As he fished, he thought he heard something. There were others on the beach enjoying the afternoon, so he assumed it was just someone playing in the sand. But then he heard it again. He looked to the ocean, scanning with a hand over his brow. That's when he saw someone drifting deeper into the ocean, splashing and calling out for help. "Riptide!", he exclaimed, realizing right away that the man was being carried out by the current. "Lapras! Lapras!", he called out to his Pokemon, who stopped splashing and at once swam over to the pier. Marleon hopped off the pier and landed on the shell of his Pokemon, "That way, someone needs help!", he pointed in the man's direction and then wrapped his arms around the Lapras' neck. He braced his feet on the spikes of the shell as Lapras took off toward the man in the current. Marleon's Lapras was well trained for agility, in fact it was one of the reasons why Rain Dance Island Lapras were sought after. They were some of the fastest Pokemon in the water. "Help! He-!", the man called out again before his head went under the water. "Gyao!", Marleon's Lapras cried to his trainer, it was Marleon's cue to hold on, and soon the Lapras dove under the surface. Marleon held on, holding his breath. By this point, a small crowd heard the commotion and watched from the beach.

Soon Lapras emerged, with Marleon taking a gasp of air, and the man sprawled on the shell between the spikes. The Gym Leader went to perform CPR on him, but the man at once began to cough up water and sat up. "Easy, easy! You okay?", Marleon asked. The man slowly nodded, "I'm...I'm alright...thank heavens this Lapras was...wait...", he looked up, still wheezing from the ordeal, but he locked eyes with Marleon, "Y-you're...Gyarados!" Marleon nodded, then turned to Lapras, "He's alright, bud. Let's head back to the shore." "Gyao!", Lapras spoke, and the three of them began to head back. "What's your name?", Marleon asked. "Garrett...damn that current was strong.", Garrett responded. "Yeah, it can be killer out here. Do you have any water-type Pokemon yet?", Marleon asked. Garrett pointed to his bag by the shore, "Just a Squirtle, his name is Gallant." Marleon nodded, "Make sure Gallant never leaves your side, Squirtle are expert swimmers and he'd be able to keep you safe from the riptide."

The three landed on the beach and someone brought a towel for Garrett. The Squirtle and a Fearow both also went to their master, now realizing something had happened. "I'm okay guys, really! All thanks to our friend Gyarados!", Garrett said, but Marleon smiled, "It was really my Lapras here. He's always been great at rescues..." He gave Lapras' belly a rub, and in that moment, Marleon remembered the day they met...

 _The ferry arrived on a stormy afternoon, but the storm pushed them on the wrong side of the island near Lapras Lagoon. Ferries and boats can only access the island from Karp Cove where the reef wasn't so high, so when the ferry got closer to the shore, it hit part of the reef. The young boy had left the safety of his parents to see what was outside, and despite his mother telling him to come back inside, he disobeyed and went over to the side of the boat. The hull hit another reef, with enough force to cause him to fall overboard. No one saw him fall off the boat, so it kept going, finally taking the long way around the island to dock while avoiding the reef. Meanwhile, the boy thrashed in the water, not knowing how to swim, and sank. He couldn't hold his breath, and started to black out when something caught him. Bringing him over the surface, he emerged on the shell of a Lapras. He coughed and gagged, rescued, but now lost from his parents. The Lapras would bring him to his pod, where several other Lapras chattered about what to do with him. Eventually they found a human by the pier to bring the boy to, and he was never reunited with his family, but began to make a new life on Rain Dance Island._

Garrett had recovered, but Marleon escorted him to the hospital in Hydrofoil Town just to be sure he checked out okay. He then went back to the pier, exhaling. The crowd had dispersed after the excitement was over, and he picked up his fishing line and went back to work. Quagsire hadn't moved, but Lapras and Lanturn were closeby, both peering up at the pier with concern. He looked down to them, "He'll be just fine. Thank you for the help, Lapras. And Lanturn, thanks for keeping an eye on Quagsire." The two nodded, laughing a bit as Quagsire yawned. Marleon continued to fish until it got a little later in the evening. He hadn't found his golden Magikarp, but he caught a few water-type Pokemon to help out with new Pokemon trainers. The local professor relied on him and the other Gym Leaders to provide starter Pokemon for champions in the making.

It was nearing sunset, and Marleon recalled Lanturn and Quagsire but left Lapras in the water. He set his fishing gear somewhere safe and walked along the beach, with Lapras following along the shoreline. They went to a separate pier, one made more of stone where the one he was fishing was wooden. This pier was special, and once he was there, he began to light a few torches. The sound of wild Lapras singing in the distance could be heard, aside from the lapping of the water on the shore, and some chirps of bug-type Pokemon coming from inland, it was the only other noise in the area. Marleon looked out to the horizon, and could see them, a large pod enjoying their afternoon.

As he turned back around, he saw a trainer approaching, along with a small entourage of friends and family. Will was a younger trainer, but he had won convincingly against Marleon in a gym battle earlier in the week. "Hey Will!", Marleon greeted him. "I guess I'm at the right place.", Will responded with a smile. The Gym Leader nodded, "Definitely, and out there is a whole pod of Lapras. One of them will be your new teammate.", he replied, pointing out to the family of aquatic Pokemon playing in the distance. "Wow...but how does this work?", Will questioned, holding his Rain Dance Badge in his hand. Marleon motioned to the stone pier, "Just hold your badge up there, it'll send a message out to the pod. And just watch what happens.", he gave a wink.

His friends and family spoke encouragingly, such as "You can do it, Will!" and "I can't wait to see this!", as Will stepped up onto the pier. Marleon's own Lapras was hanging out nearby, and Will looked back to Marleon before he held up the badge. The Rain Dance Badge began to shimmer as soon as the light from the sunset hit it, a gentle violet glow coming from the swirls etched in the badge itself. It grew brighter and brighter, and began to pulse vividly. As this was happening, Marleon's Lapras began to sing. His voice was loud, but the melody was soothing and harmonic. The crowd gasped in awe as they watched and listened, and once Lapras had concluded his song, they could hear the distant pod begin to sing back. The song was similar, hauntingly beautiful. Finally, the light began to subside in the badge, and once it ceased to glow, Marleon spoke, "They've received the message, you can put your badge away."

Will did that, pinning the badge back to his shirt, and he watched as one of the Lapras began to nuzzle the others. She had more of a pale, light blue to her skin, a younger Lapras in comparison to many of the others, and once she had said her goodbyes, she swam closer to the shore. Marleon smiled, "Looks like a female. She'll be a good fit for you.", he said to Will. The trainer didn't respond, simply fixated on the Lapras as she got closer, before she slowed and drifted to the pier. She looked down to him with gentle eyes, and lowered her head to give him a sniff. Will hesitantly reached and pressed his palm onto her muzzle, and the female closed her eyes and spoke a soft "Gyao..." Marleon's Lapras spoke a little to the younger female, and then gave both trainers a nod. "She's all yours.", the Gym Leader spoke, and Will reached into his pocket to collect a Great Ball, pressing the button on the ball to the Lapras' cheek. The ball opened and absorbed her in, wiggling once before settling in his palm. When the Lapras disappeared, the family and such applauded and cheered, Will sheepishly turning back and holding the Great Ball up to show them. Marleon clapped as well, and Will looked to him, "I'll take good care of her. Thank you, Gyarados!"

Marleon watched as Will stepped down to rejoin his friends and family, and then he turned to Lapras, "Ready to head home?", he asked. The Pokemon slowly nodded, looking back to the pod. He exhaled, sighing audibly. Marleon caught this, "Hey, we'll catch up with them again before we leave for Kalos. I'm sure they'll want to know about it.", he sighed a bit himself, reaching over and giving Lapras' neck a rub, "I just hope that whoever takes over this event does a good job with it while we're gone. We're counting on them...the wild ones are too." Lapras nodded, and Marleon returned him to the ball, before heading back into town. It was getting darker, so he hired one of the taxi services to take him back to Mariner City. He hopped in the back of a wagon that was pulled by a Girafarig, and he watched the sky as the stars began to appear, not minding the psychic Pokemon's tail was glaring at him the entire way.

He returned to the Rain Dance Gym and let everyone out of their pokeballs. Dragonite and Ampharos both yawned almost in unison, who had uneventful days after the battle earlier. Drago the Gyarados had settled herself in the pool and was fast asleep. Quagsire waddled over to his favorite corner of the pool and relaxed. Lanturn and Lapras also had their areas in the water. The Gym Leader smiled. He had a great team, and hoped they all would be up for the challenge of taking on a fresh set of Gym Leaders. He walked back to where his office was and flipped the light on, looking at his badge collection once more. Every badge was a symbol of accomplishment, and he remembered each win vividly. And then, he walked over and pressed a hidden button on his desk. A small latch opened, and he reached in and pulled out a Master Ball. The Gym Leader held it in his hand for a few moments, the beautiful purple and white ball, with a distinctive "M" in the center...it was guaranteed to catch any Pokemon he threw it at. This was the prize he won from becoming the Fire Islands League championship a few years ago, but he never used it. He wondered if he should bring this with him on the sabbatical. He would begin his preparations for the trip in the morning, but for now, he put the Master Ball back, sealing it away before he cut the light off and proceeded to head back to where his private quarters were. It wasn't much – a bed, a television, a few shelves, a mini-fridge...about the essentials a small apartment might have. He settled in bed and flipped the television on for a little while, watching the afternoon news. Word had gotten out pretty quickly about his trip. There was a going to be an island-wide competition for the role of Substitute Gym Leader, and he watched a few interviews before he cut the television off. It was the last thing he wanted on his mind.

He closed his eyes and slept, but only a few hours went by before his eyes were open again. It was odd. He couldn't get comfortable, and his mind was racing about the recent events. He closed his eyes again, but when he opened them, he was standing on the ruins of a town. He didn't recognize that he was dreaming, and he began to walk. Familiar nautical flags were now shredded and flapping violently in the wind. Houses with crumbled walls and sunken roofs. Broken lamps and fences. Strange flags with symbols he hadn't seen before. He began to realize this was Mariner City, and soon he was racing to the Rain Dance Gym. All the while catching glimpses of those symbols again. One depicted a bird engulfed in flames, the flag coated in a vivid red. The second was a spiked bird, confidently posed in yellow against a black background. The final one was an elegant blue bird, wings spread against a darker blue. Those symbols...those birds, he knew them personally. Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno...the Legendary Birds. But why were those flags tattered across the city? He finally made it to the Rain Dance Gym, and to his shock, it was nothing but rubble! His Pokemon, where were they? He pressed his palms to his belt but the Pokeballs weren't there. And then he looked to the sky, and he saw something extraordinary – a blinding purple coated the clouds of the sky, and in them, flashes of light. Distinctive glows, lightning, bursts of flame, shimmers of ice...there they were! The trio of birds were battling one another, each pecking and using their element in an attempt to take down one of the rivals. He watched as they continued to war with one another, until he saw Articuno try to connect a blast of icy shards, sharp icicles, aimed at Zapdos. The Electric Bird moved out of the way just in time, but the trajectory was aimed right where Marleon was standing. He watched like a Stantler in the headlights as he was struck and pelted by the sharp, lethal ice shards.

Marleon sat up and gasped. He looked around, he was back in his room. Exhaling, sweating, he looked at the clock. It was about three in the morning. He sighed, trying to get the nightmare off his mind, before he finally got up and headed to the mini-fridge to get a drink. He opened it and pulled out a bottle of _Dewgong Dew_ , popping it open and chugging greedily. He downed the drink quickly, and exhaled, looking to the window. The Rain Dance Gym was pretty close to the shore, nestled on a small peninsula that separated the Oceana Coastline to the north and Karp Cove to the east. He watched the blackness of the night for a while, the faint sound of the waves crashing against the shore...and then he caught a glimpse of something. Brief flashes of violet, it reminded him of the dream. In fact, it was the same hue of violet he saw in the sky in the dream, and the flashes were coming from the horizon. He came to the conclusion that these flashes of light were what inspired the nightmare, but they seemed unnatural. What if the dream wasn't just a dream? What if it was a vision of the future? It was entirely possible, especially considering some of the Pokemon that existed.

Marleon got dressed and went out to the gym arena. Each of his Pokemon were fast asleep, and he kept quiet as he went toward the door. But about the time he passed by Drago, she opened and eye and peeked to him. The Gyarados let out a low growl, and Marleon at once put a finger to his lips. "It's just me, girl.", he whispered. Drago settled but tilted her head, starting to sit up and move over to the edge of the pool. Marleon walked over and gave her a rub on the head, "I'm just going out for a few minutes. Don't worry, I won't be long. I know it's late, but...keep an eye on the place while I'm gone, alright?", he asked her. The Gyarados sleepily nodded, and nestled her chin on part her serpentine body, yawning wide. Marleon headed out and locked the gym up behind him, before he walked around the perimeter of the gym. In a small storage shed facing the beach, he had a few kayaks and other supplies. He took a life vest and a supply kit, as well as a bright neon green kayak, and set out on the water, paddling in the direction of the light he was seeing. The water was strangely calm, almost perfectly still. This was definitely unnatural, he was sure of it. But he had to know what was out there. His adrenaline kicked in and he was paddling as fast as he could, getting closer to the light in the distance. It grew brighter and more vivid the closer he got, but soon he felt the kayak being pulled. The water wasn't as still as he thought it was, there was a strong current that was pulling him closer. He was losing control, and began to paddle in an attempt to correct himself when the kayak began to turn and go backwards. His paddling was getting him nowhere, and when he looked back to see what was causing the bright violet glow, he felt his heart skip a beat inside his chest. He was being dragged into a giant whirlpool. The light was coming from under the water, but it was bright enough to illuminate the torrent, and his kayak was so light that it was easily being pulled by the flow. He tried his best to resist the current, but before he knew it, he was spiraling in circles and finally pulled under the water. He held his breath, trying to get back up to the surface, but the vortex was keeping him submerged. He briefly got a glimpse of what was causing the light. He briefly saw a glowing violet silhouette. Piercing eyes glared at him. He felt himself fading. Couldn't hold his breath. He felt a pain right in his spine, and he went to gasp but took in water. The last vision he had was those violet eyes glaring at him, and then everything went dark. 

"How is he?", someone spoke. "Breathing. Conscious. Musta took a nasty fall from 'is boat.", someone else responded. Marleon wearily opened his eyes. It was early morning, and he was looking up at a boat mast. He sat up and rubbed his head. "Well well! Look whose up!", one of the voices spoke. Marleon looked around, rubbing his eyes now. He was surrounded by a few people, they were wearing matching outfits. Striped shirts, torn shorts, bandannas with a stylized "A" in the center. "How ya feelin', bucko?", one of them asked him. He rubbed his head again, "Got a headache...I...where am I?", Marleon asked.

"Safe. Yer aboard tha Perippā, a fine vessel. What's yer name, lad?", one of them, clearly a superior, asked him. Marleon went to say his name...but he couldn't remember it. He couldn't remember how he even got there, who he was, or any of the previous events. "I...I don't remember. I don't know who I am." One of the men looked over to the others and said, "Get Archie on the line. We've got another recruit for Team Aqua.", before back to Marleon, "That's alright lad, just take it easy. Ya must be goin' through a bit of amnesia. We'll get ya back on yer feet, fer now come have some grub.", they helped Marleon up and into the cabin of the ship. "So ya ain't got a name or a story, at least not fer now. How about we call ya...Barnacle Bob?", the ship's captain suggested. The Gym Leader slowly nodded, still rubbing his temples, still disoriented.


	3. Chapter 3 - Memento

-Chapter 3-

 **Memento**

"Attention all passengers, we are arriving at Rain Dance Island shortly. Please gather your belongings and wait for the crew to escort you to the marina once we have docked. The current time is 7:42 AM. For those not departing to Rain Dance Island, this ferry will depart for Terra Firma Isle at approximately 8:15 AM. We thank you for choosing _Rapurasu Lines_ for your patronage here in the Fire Islands League."

The ferry pulled up to the dock, and once the ramp was extended and secured, the passengers unloaded. Everyone from future residents of the island to Pokemon trainers stepped onto the dock and took their first steps on the island. Among them was a man who hadn't stepped foot on Rain Dance Island in six years. Wearing a light jacket with an undershirt, a pair of blue jeans, boots, and a black bandanna over his head, he made his way down past the marina and into the residential area of the island. He really wasn't paying attention to the houses, but those who walked by would have noticed that they were quiet colorful. Most every house adorned one of three colors – red, blue, or yellow. A few of them even had a combination of the two, the so-called "house divided" sort of families. Rarely were there houses that sported all three colors, there may have been one or two.

Marleon wasn't focused on them. First things first, he had to visit home again. When the path split and heading left would go to Mariner City, he went right instead, going north to the peninsula where the Rain Dance Gym was located. As he walked, he noticed a few strange structures he had never seen before along the path. They were pretty advanced as far as technology, each of them adorned with red. There were Pokemon standing at the top, watching those walking by. He stopped momentarily to inspect one of them, looking up to see a Rhydon and a Houndoom staring down at him. "Huh...", he mumbled, and kept walking. He passed one or two more of them before he finally made it to the gym, expecting the gym to be operational. But to Marleon's surprise, the Rain Dance Gym looked like it hadn't been used or even visited in years. The walls were cracked but still stood. The windows were broken, vines had grown up the walls. The grass around the gym was pretty overgrown, and he could have sworn he saw a Rattata peek up from the tall grass before scurrying away. The front door had been boarded up, with the words "Condemned" spraypainted across the boards. He approached, inspecting the boards on the door, and noticed they had used some weak plywood for it. He gripped the board and ripped it down easily, tossing it aside into the grass. A few spooked Murkrow flew out from the grass, causing Marleon to jump. He checked the door, but it was locked. Marleon, however, knew where his spare key was, and walked around the perimeter a few steps before he found a certain stone in the foundation. It was actually a hollow stone, an picture of a Magikarp was etched into it, and when he pulled it out of the wall, it popped open and the key was there. He went back to the front door and unlocked it, taking his first steps back into the gym.

The interior of the gym was just as unused as it appeared to be outside. There was debris and garbage in the stands around the arena. Some sunbeams illuminated the place through a few of the open windows, and Marleon would have noticed a few Pidgey and Murkrow chirping away, perched up high. Several Rattata scurried across the gym once the door opened, a few hopping down into the pool. He heard a bit of splashing, but it looked like the water had been mostly drained. He couldn't tell from where he stood by the door. He assumed the place was mostly abandoned save for the rodents and birds, but then he heard something that he wasn't expecting – a low, weak growl. He knew that sound. It was unmistakable, and as soon as he heard it, he ran to the pool and looked in. "Oh my g...", he began to say, "Drago!"

The Gyarados was breathing heavily, her body was resting and shriveled. The water was low around her, and garbage was drifting, scattered about. There were a few Rattata down there as well, and the moment Marleon was in view, they hissed and stood protectively around the Gyarados. "Easy, guys, I'm her trainer.", Marleon spoke. "Rattata!", the rodents shrieked back, the hair on their backs standing on-end. Then Drago opened her eyes and looked up. She tried to sit up, but she was too weak to move. She only groaned a bit. The Rattata slowly relaxed, "Rattatata?", they spoke to one another, before Marleon hopped down into the pool. When he felt like he was safe around them, he approached and pressed a palm into Drago's throat. She closed her eyes, exhaling. "Drago...I'm so sorry...", Marleon's eyes began to tear up at the sight of her like this, before he saw the garbage around – food, potions...he turned to the Rattata, "You...you brought her these? You took care of her?", he asked them. The Rattata nodded, "Ratta!", they responded. They even looked up to the birds. Marleon looked up to them, one of the Pidgeys cooed, and a Murkrow tilted their head. "All of you...thank you...I can't thank you enough for helping her.", he spoke, looking back down to Drago, before he stood and climbed out of the pool. He at once ran to his office, trying to turn the lights on, but there was no power to the building. He rummaged through one of the drawers and found a flashlight, trying to turn it on but it was weak. A few taps with his palm and it illuminated brightly. He first looked up to the wall, surprised that his badges were all still displayed. In fact it looked like the office was left untouched. He went to where his Pokemon team's balls were stored, and saw that all but Drago's were gone. Lastly, he had to make sure about something, pressing the button hidden on the side. The panel opened up, and a bit of dust floated in the air. He reached in, and pulled out the Master Ball he had stashed away. Marleon set it back in and closed up the chamber, before taking Drago's ball and quickly heading back to the pool. "Don't worry, everyone, she's going to be okay. I'm taking her to the Pokemon Center right now.", he said to the Rattata, Pidgeys, and Murkrow. They responded and backed away, and Marleon pointed the Pokeball at Drago and spoke, "Drago, return!" The red beam shot out of the ball, and the Gyarados was covered in a red aura before vanishing, absorbed back into her ball. As soon as she was returned, Marleon took off, running to the door and tossing it open without locking it. He ran as fast as he could, knowing the way to the Pokemon Center. He didn't bother looking at anything around him, despite how much the island had changed in the six years he was gone.

The Pokemon Center was always open, and Nurse Joy yawned, having a slow morning. That was interrupted when Marleon pushed the doors open and called, "Help! Emergency!" Nurse Joy turned and said, "Emergency? Okay, slow down, what's the emergency?" Marleon ran up to the desk and pressed Drago's Pokeball before her. "My Gyarados is dying. She's-", he began, but Nurse Joy interrupted, "Trainer Card, please." "What?", Marleon asked. "I need to see your identification, you have a Trainer Card, right?", Joy spoke again. Marleon slammed his hands into the desk, "We don't have time for this! Drago is dying!", he shouted. There was a brief moment of silence. Nurse Joy looked at the Pokeball, it had a distinct marking on it. Then back to Marleon. "Wait...you said Drago...like Drago the Gyarados?", she asked. The man nodded. "Then...you're...?", Nurse Joy asked. Marleon sighed, and untied his bandanna. His long, black hair fell down to his shoulders. He looked Nurse Joy in the eye. The Nurse shuddered, "You can't be...you're dead!", she exclaimed. Marleon shook his head, "I should be, yeah...but I'm not. I just went away for a few years. Now, can we please help Drago? I just found her at my gym, I don't think she has much longer.", Marleon pleaded.

"Blissey! Get the Emergency Room ready! The extra large stretcher, we have a Gyarados!", Nurse Joy called, taking Drago's Pokeball and rushing into ER. Marleon wanted to follow, but he simply watched as the doors closed, and a light above the room glowed, a silhouette of a syringe. He sighed, and slumped into one of the chairs. The first thing that caught his eye was a screen mounted on the wall. The words "Scoreboard – Rain Dance Island" read on the title, with a bar graph. The red bar was the longest, with the blue bar a little shorter. The yellow bar was quite short. There was some advertisement for a law office on it too. The room was very quiet, there was a booth in the corner that was curious to him, and he could hear some sort of jingle coming from it. He finally stood and walked over, peeking into the curtain. There was a place to sit and a screen, as well as three buttons of different colors. There was a Pokeball with three symbols circling around them. He knew he had seen those symbols before, three different looking birds...

"Gyarados?", Nurse Joy asked. Marleon looked over, heading back to where the ER door was. "She's ready for you. I'm sorry, but...", Joy shook her head. Marleon put a hand on her shoulder, "Take me to her." Joy nodded, and escorted him into the Emergency Room.

Drago was resting on a large hospital bed, a sheet covering most of her body save for the head and tail. A few machines were strapped to her, and her breaths were labored. "Drago...", Marleon mouthed, coming closer to her. He pressed his hand to her head. She never opened her eyes, just kept breathing. There was an audible beep from one of the machines, a life support monitor was keeping track of her heartbeat. Marleon closed his eyes, trying to hold back his tears, but they fell, soaking the tile below. "I'll...I'll be so lost without you, Drago...", he whispered to her. That moment, he remembered the day they met...

 _He was old enough to receive his starter Pokemon, and the draw was random. The Professor allowed him to choose one Pokeball on the shelf, each containing a water-type Pokemon. Marleon didn't know anything about Pokemon aside for his encounter with the Lapras pod, so he picked, and when he opened the ball, a Magikarp appeared. "Ah...how'd that get in there? We don't normally let new trainers take one of those since it'll be a challenge.", the Professor said, but Marleon shook his head, "No, I...I want to keep it.", he responded. "Are you sure? Magikarp are weak battlers. Surely you'd rather-?", the Professor began, but Marleon picked the Magikarp up and embraced her, the fish wriggling in his arms, "I'm sure. I'd never give up on this one."_

 _He would have a tough time raising Drago, but when he returned to Lapras Lagoon, the Lapras that has rescued him insisted on joining his team. With the two of them together, Lapras protected Drago, until one day, she evolved into a Gyarados mid-battle. It would lead to Marleon winning his first badge._

The monitor's beeps slowed, and then...flatlined. Drago stopped breathing. Marleon wrapped his arms around her neck and sobbed. Nurse Joy approached and put a hand on his back. "Marleon, there's something else you should know. She...she laid an egg right before she lost consciousness.", she said. Marleon sat up and wiped his eyes, "Wh...what?", he asked. Joy pointed to a table nearby, where an egg mottled in green markings was sitting. "She laid this egg a few moments ago. I think...she was keeping it for you.", Joy explained.

Marleon walked over to the egg and felt it. Warm, pulsing...whoever was inside was alive. "I don't...I don't know how to take care of an egg though.", he admitted. "Oh, you've never used an incubator? Every trainer gets one. I can provide you one, but first, you'd have to register as a new trainer.", she explained. Marleon looked back to Drago, and then to the egg. He nodded, "Alright, I suppose I need to anyway. But first...", he took Drago's Pokeball and pressed it to her head. The Pokeball technology still worked despite the Gyarados being deceased, and Drago was absorbed into the ball. "What will you do with her?", Nurse Joy asked. "She deserves to be returned to the ocean, so I'll give her back when I can.", Marleon responded.

They returned to the lobby and began the process of registration. Joy took his information and registered him as a new trainer. He was given a Pokedex, a few starter supplies including an incubator, and his trainer card was uploaded to the dex. "Last thing to do is to choose a team. You'll use that booth over there for that.", she explained, pointing to the booth Marleon was inspecting earlier. He shrugged, "I really don't care about all of that to be honest.", but Nurse Joy insisted, "Trust me, it'll be better if you pick one of them. You'll have a headquarters to go to, and global support from your teammates." Marleon sighed and nodded, before slipping into the booth and pressing the "Start" button on the screen.

"Hello, new trainer, and welcome to the world of Pokemon!", a professor he had never seen before spoke. "Pokemon are wonderful creatures, and-", Marleon rolled his eyes. He's a seasoned Pokemon Trainer, he didn't need to hear all of this. Luckily, there was a "skip" button. He pressed it, and it cut to the chase, "There are three teams to pick from, each with their own strengths. Choose wisely, for you will not be able to change your team once you have picked.", the Professor spoke, and then the yellow button illuminated. The screen went yellow, the symbol with Zapdos on it, and a man appeared. "Hey! The name's Spark, the leader of Team Instinct. Pokémon are creatures with excellent intuition. I bet the secret to their intuition is related to how they're hatched. Come on and join my team! You never lose when you trust your instincts!" He was a young guy, spiked blonde hair, and a smug grin to his face. Marleon blinked, "Huh...", before it went to the next screen, the blue button illuminating. The screen went blue, the symbol of Articuno appearing, and a woman with white hair glared at the screen. "I am Blanche, leader of Team Mystic. The wisdom of Pokémon is immeasurably deep. I am researching why it is that they evolve. My team? With our calm analysis of every situation, we can't lose!" Marleon nodded slowly, "Not too bad..." Then the screen went red. The logo depicting Moltres emerged, and a dark-skinned woman was shown, smiling. "I'm Candela, Team Valor's leader! Pokémon are stronger than humans, and they're warmhearted, too! I'm researching ways to enhance Pokémon's natural power in the pursuit of true strength. There's no doubt that the Pokémon our team have trained are the strongest in battle! Are you ready?" Marleon rubbed his temples.

The three were shown once more. The Professor spoke again, "Now is your time to choose! Remember, you can't change your team once you have chosen." The buttons patiently waited for him to press one of them. Yellow, Blue, Red. He crossed his arms and began to think. "Well...I use ice types in my gym team, so...Team Mystic?", he started to press the blue button, but then he hesitated. "No...I'm not sure, there was something about that leader...I don't think...no, not them.", he looked at the red button, "How about Team Valor then. I think I could fit in with them. And I've known Moltres personally, so...", he started to press the red button. But then he looked at that yellow one. And he remembered seeing a screen in the lobby. The bar graph on it, of the three, the yellow one was the lowest. He took a look at Spark's face again, and at the symbol for Zapdos. "Oh what the heck.", he pressed the yellow button. "Are you sure you'd like to join this team?", the screen flashed with a confirmation. "Yes yes, you don't have to ask twice.", he pressed the yellow button again." The screen went yellow, and Spark gave a salute, "Congratulations and welcome to Team Instinct!", he spoke. The Trainer Card updated in his Pokedex, and displayed the Zapdos logo behind Marleon's information. He stepped out of the booth and Nurse Joy had the egg in his incubator, as well as an extra gift – a Team Instinct baseball-style cap. "Congratulations on the choice! You can find Team Instinct's headquarters in Hydrofoil Town. They set up close to Lapras Lagoon. Team Mystic is also in Hydrofoil Town but closer to the Aqua Rainforest. And Team Valor is located here in Mariner City...which is why you saw quite a lot of red around here.", she explained. "Thanks for the information, but can I ask...is there any sort of log about where my original Pokemon team is?", Marleon asked. "Hmm...I think you can use the database for that. There is a terminal over there.", Joy pointed to a computer nearby. He nodded and went over, sitting down and typing on it. He searched for himself and a profile showed up:

 **Marleon "Gyarados" Takenawa**

 **Status: MIA/Deceased**

 **Affiliation: No Team**

 **Occupation: Rain Dance Island Gym Leader**

 **Pokemon-**

 **Lapras – Adopted by Mr. Heron – Team Mystic Headquarters**

" **Drago" (Gyarados) – Adopted by Mr. Daté – QR Construction, LLC**

 **Ampharos – Adopted by Anonymous – Karp Cove Lighthouse**

 **Quagsire – Adopted by "V" - Team Instinct Headquarters**

 **Dragonite – Adopted by Ms. Selene – Team Valor Headquarters**

 **Lanturn – Adopted by Mr. Giant – Hydrofoil Aquarium**

Marleon printed out the list, and gathering his supplies, he spoke to Joy once more, "Thank you for the help." She smiled and nodded, "I'm sorry about-", she began, but Marleon shook his head, "You did everything you could for her. And besides...she said her goodbyes in a way I didn't expect.", he rubbed along the top of the incubator before he slipped the strap on and carried it out. He put the Team Instinct hat on his head and stepped outside.

It was the first time he got a good look at the city. Those structures he saw earlier were all over, most of them red but there were a handful of blue ones. There were buildings with Team Valor advertisements painted on the walls, Valor flags all about. In addition, those scoreboards were on just about every corner, the stats still the same. He got a better look at it now, understanding what exactly he was looking at. Gym stats. There was a small map of the island with blips scattered across the island. The area around Mariner City was mostly covered in red blips. Blue ones dominated Hydrofoil town. There were yellow blips mostly along Lapras Lagoon and the Aqua Rainforest. He figured it out there, those structures he was seeing around were the new gym system. The teams were battling one another for control of those gyms. He didn't know why, but he planned to ask. Suddenly, the screen began to flash with an announcement message. Those who were walking by stopped and looked up at the screen.

"Attention Rain Dance Island! This is a Channel 130 Action News Report! Brought to you by the Law Office of Docket Deeds!", a cartoon logo of a Ponyta wearing a purple suit and a red tie, pointing a hoof onto the distance popped up. The slogan 'Don't say neigh! Call today!' was displayed for a brief few moments, before the screen went to two reporters, a man and a woman. "I'm Cindy and this is my co-host, Tommy. We now have confirmation that the former Rain Dance Gym Leader, Marleon Takenawa, has registered as a new trainer on the island!", the female reporter said. "Damn it...how'd they find out so quickly?", Marleon muttered to himself. "Our sources on the island confirm that 'Gyarados' registered at the Pokemon Center in Mariner City. While we have yet to confirm that this trainer is in fact the former Gym Leader, our field reporters are on the way there now to cover this breaking news on the ground!", the male reporter spoke. Marleon broke his view of the screen to look back at the others who had been passing by, all of them now looking at the Pokemon Center, locking eyes with him. "Is that him?", one of them asked. "That guy? The Instinct?", someone else pointed at him. Marleon took a step back, "Son of a-", he grumbled, when a few news vans covered in "Channel 130" logos came onto the scene, sliding to a halt and parking. A reporter and other paparazzi spilled out of the vans, along with several cameramen, who all rushed up to the Pokemon Center. "Sir! Sir are you-?", they began to question him. Marleon sighed. So much for having a low profile. "Yeah...I'm Gyarados.", he responded.

The reporter turned to her cameraman, as the screens around simultaneously broadcast the news event. "Oh, we're live with Delilah Wolfgang on the scene! Delilah?", the female newscaster spoke. "Hello, I'm Delilah Wolfgang, and I'm here at the Mariner City Pokemon Center with the man in question. Sir, you said you are indeed Marleon "Gyarados" Takenawa, the former gym leader of this island?", Delilah asked and held the microphone up to Marleon. He cleared his throat and said, "That's correct." "Can you confirm your identity?", she asked. Marleon hesitated, then carefully slid his jacket off. He was wearing a tank top underneath the jacket, much like he would normally wear. He then lifted the fabric from the right shoulder, revealing an interesting scar. The scar looked like a mix between a deep cut and a burn. "I was told my Dragonite is here in Mariner City at the Team Valor headquarters. If that is true, then you will know the scars on his body. They look much like this scar I have.", he began, "Years ago, I joined my fellow Fire Islands gym leaders to defend the islands against Mewtwo. Dragonite and I both were hit with a psychic blast that left these scars." Marleon, lost in the moment, remembered that day...

 _Mewtwo threatened the islands, invading with an army of psychic-controlled minions. The gym leaders assembled on Old Thunderbird Island, where an intense battle took place. During that time, Marleon and his Dragonite had an opening to challenge Mewtwo. "Dragonite, Hyper Beam!", Marleon called, and Dragonite opened his maw and unleashed an impressive beam of concentrated energy. Mewtwo was just a little too quick though, avoiding the Hyper Beam but it barely seared part of the legend's tail. In retaliation, Mewtwo aimed a hand at Marleon, using psychic to hold him in place. Dragonite was recovering, and Marleon hovered, unable to move as a psychic beam charged toward him. He braced himself, mind flashing with memories of his life as he thought this was his end, but at the last moment, Dragonite jumped in the way, taking the brunt of the burst of energy. Dragonite screamed in pain, but withstood the blast, though parts of it couldn't be blocked and struck Marleon as well. The two of them collapsed, steam rising off of their bodies as their flesh was seared from the attack. "D-dragon-", Marleon tried to speak, his dragon-type Pokemon panting and groaning next to him. The moment distracted Mewtwo just enough that Mike Thunderbird's Zapdos was able to connect with a Thunder against the legend, the other gym leaders following with attacks while Marleon finally got to his feet. He returned Dragonite, but switched out with his own legend – Suicune. The Legendary Dog took Marleon to a safe location where he could administer to both his wounds and Dragonite's as well. They rejoined the battle once they had healed themselves, and with their efforts, the gym leaders successfully defeated Mewtwo. But not at a cost...Old Thunderbid Island was nearly wiped off the map, and would be inhabitable for some time after the battle._

By the time Marleon had snapped out of his flashback, he looked up to the scoreboards to see a side-by-side comparison of him from that moment and an older photo of him where he was shirtless. He grimaced a bit that they picked that photo, but it confirmed that the scars were identical and that he was who he said he was. "There we go, everyone! This is in fact 'Gyarados'! Now, a few more questions...", Delilah began to ask, but Marleon held his hand up, "I really don't have time for-". "Sir, please, you've been gone for six years. Just a few for the locals of Rain Dance Island. I promise it'll be short.", Delilah asked. The Gym Leader tossed his jacket back on and nodded, and she asked, "Where exactly have you been for the past six years? What happened that day when you disappeared?" Marleon hesitated, and rubbed his head, "To be honest, I don't remember much about it. I woke up early in the morning, and went out on my kayak on the water. I don't remember the reason, but...when I came to, I was in a clinic on Cianwood City.", he explained. Delilah gasped, "Thats...in Johto!", she exclaimed, and Marleon nodded, "A doctor had a Hypno that helped me recover my memories. I barely remember anything else that had happened, but...it was a shock to find out I was gone for several years." Delilah nodded, "Thanks, and one more question. I'm sure everyone would like to know...why did you join Team Instinct?" Marleon forgot he was wearing the hat with the logo. "Oh, umm...well...", he stuttered a bit, "Honestly, I didn't have much time to really research them, so I just picked one.", he said.

Delilah nodded, "Alright, that's all for-", but Marleon interrupted, "Hey can I add one more thing?", he asked. The reporter nodded, and she held the microphone up to him. "It's just a request. I haven't been here for some time, and I need to talk with some old acquaintances. Please don't ask me to battle you. I don't have any of my original Pokemon. In fact...I'd really like them back. I will be visiting those who adopted my old team members soon, so if you're listening, please expect my arrival.", Marleon spoke. Delilah held the microphone back to her own lips, "Reporting from Mariner City, I'm Delilah Wolfgang, Channel 130 Action News."

A few of the bystanders rushed toward the former Gym Leader, wanting to ask questions, but Officer Jenny and several other police officers came in, "Alright people! Nothing to see here! Gyarados has work to do!", she announced. The crowd was persistent, but eventually, they finally dispersed. The scoreboards returned to "Team Scores brought to you by the Law Office of Docket Deeds", and Marleon took his first steps away from the Pokemon Center, heading into the city he knew like the back of his hand, though realizing it looked much different than he remembered.


	4. Chapter 4 - Dragon Rage

-Chapter 4-

 **Dragon Rage**

First things first. He wanted answers as to why Drago was neglected. He had the address to QR Construction, and a name. Mr. Daté...he hoped there was a good explanation why his Gyarados was dead. He began to walk down the roads of Mariner City. Those gym structures towered over the buildings. They were advanced technologically, impressive structures. Those who wished to challenge one could take an elevator up to battle the Pokemon at the top of the tower. Marleon stopped and watched this happen, there were monitors beneath the gym where those around could watch the battle take place. This was a member of Team Instinct taking on one of the Team Valor gyms. Of course those around were cheering on the Valor Pokemon in the gym, but after a few moments, the gym's colors faded to grey, and then went yellow. The gym had been defeated and claimed for Team Instinct, and the trainer emerged from the elevator and walked away. Marleon, however, watched as a few trainers approached the newly changed Instinct Gym, and each took the elevator up. Three trainers took the Instinct's Vaporeon down within seconds, and the gym was back to being red. Marleon crossed his arms. The new system was pretty confusing to him.

He went on, seeing more odd structures in the streets. These weren't towers, but interesting disc-shaped machines. He watched a Team Mystic trainer approach and hold her Pokedex up to the machine. It whirred and the disc spun, and a chute next to it produced a few Pokeballs and a potion. The trainer took them and began to walk away, but Marleon approached her, "Excuse me...", he spoke, "I'm new to all of this. Mind telling me what this is?" The Mystic smiled, "Oh, that's a Pokestop. Put your Pokedex up to it and it'll give you some items.", she explained. Marleon did just that, holding his Pokedex up, and similarly the disc on the machine spun, and a Pokeball and two potions rolled out of the chute. "Huh! That's pretty useful!", he tried it again, but the machine didn't respond. "Hmm? So it's not unlimited then...", he asked. The Mystic trainer chuckled, "It is, sort of. But it only works in five-minute intervals. Try it again in five minutes. You can also find these at the gyms too.", she explained. "Hey thanks, I honestly had no idea.", Marleon nodded and took his items. As they departed, he carried on his way, turning a corner. Things were much different in Mariner City than he remembered. The buildings were the same, but with all the Team Valor flair on them, it didn't seem as much like the home he grew up in. He was a bit out of place wearing his Team Instinct hat, and even heard scoffs and mumbles from a few people that he passed by. One older man even purposefully bumped into him and then turned around and spoke, "Hey, watch where you're going, 'In-stink!'" Marleon didn't respond, only giving him a glare before he kept walking.

Eventually he found the building for QR Construction, but when he walked up to the door, he found the door was closed. He peeked in through a window, lights were all off. But then he noticed a piece of paper taped to one of the windows, it had the address of the current construction project. It wasn't far, a few more blocks down the road. So Marleon kept on walking. He finally found the site, it was part of a new building structure being built. He started to walk in when someone shouted, "Hey! You can't go in there! Where's your PPE?" Marleon looked and saw a man wearing a hard hat, reflective vest, and other forms of "personal protective equipment". Marleon called back, "I'm looking for a Mr. Daté!" The worker responded, "The boss? Yeah lemme get him!", and he set some equipment down and walked into the site. Marleon noticed a few things while he was waiting. Several Conkeldurr were carrying concrete cylinders and girders around. There were signs all around with information and guidelines for staying safe on the job site. As he looked around, a short man walked up to him. He was wearing PPE, but his hard hat was covered in stickers that seemed to signify that he was the boss around here. Marleon noticed the Team Mystic logo on the side of his hard hat. "Can I help you?", the man asked. "Yes, I'm looking for Mr. Daté.", Marleon responded. The construction worker held his nametag up. Chris Daté. "That's me. What can I do for ya?" A few other construction workers started to gather around them, waiting to ask Mr. Daté some things. Marleon cleared his throat, "Can we speak in private?" The boss looked over to his workers, "Give me a few minutes, guys.", he said to them, and then escorted Marleon to a small trailer. Once the door closed behind them, Marleon asked at once, "You were the one who adopted my Gyarados, right? The one at the Rain Dance Gym." Chris set his hard hat down on a desk, then responded, "Yeah." "Tell me...why did I find her dying when I came back?", Marleon asked bluntly.

Chris looked surprised, turning to him, "What do you mean? She was still there?", he asked. "She was nearly dead in the pool. I took her to the Pokemon Center. She didn't make it.", Marleon explained. "What? Damn it, why didn't they-?", Chris balled his hand up into a fist, "Listen, I did everything I could to take care of her. Five whole years of it." Marleon blinked, "Tell me, what happened?" Chris sighed, slumping into a worn leather chair. He rubbed his head, then began to explain, "Drago didn't want to leave the gym. I tried, but she refused...she was waiting for you to come back. I think she...I think she was trying to protect the gym." Marleon closed his eyes. "I see...I think I know why.", he remembered the last words he spoke to Drago. "'Keep an eye on the place while I'm gone.', I said that to her before I disappeared. She waited for me the whole time." Chris nodded, "That explains it. But I don't know why they didn't take her out of there after they closed the gym. I went by there every day to feed her, because it's close to my home. But one day...about a year ago, they had boarded up the door.", he explained. "Who do you mean by 'they'?", Marleon asked. Chris looked him in the eye, "The city, they deemed the building to be too dangerous to go into. I think it was planned to be demolished in a month or two."

Marleon had his answer. "Well, sorry to bother you. And thank you...for everything you did for her. She was a good friend.", Marleon stood. "Wait.", Chris said, standing as well, "Is there anything I can do for you, to make up for-?" Marleon shook his head, "You took care of her for five years. How could I ask for anything else from you?", but he hesitated, "Well, there's one thing. Any chance you can help me get power back at the Rain Dance Gym?" Chris nodded, "We work directly with Manectric Electric. I'll get them to power the gym for ya." Marleon smiled, "That would be fantastic, thank you."

He left the job site, and scratched off Chris' name from the list. He looked around, still seeing all the Team Valor things in Mariner City. He looked down at the list. Dragonite was at the Team Valor location, and he had a name – Ms. Selene. He began to head in the direction of the headquarters, eventually making it to a large building. There were torches that led up to the door, and just above the door was a large Team Valor logo, the symbol of Moltres itself backlit in red. The building seemed pretty modern, and Marleon mumbled, "This used to be a souvenir mall...I guess the shops went out of business.", before he approached the door. There wasn't a handle on the door, but he saw a key card slot, as well as a comm system. He pressed the button for service, and was met with a response. _"Hello? Can we help you?"_ , someone asked through the speaker. Marleon spoke back, "Hi, I'm looking for a Ms. Selene. Is she here?" There was a brief moment of silence, before the person on the other side spoke, _"One moment."_ , and then the door slid open. _"Go on in. But you might want to take that hat off."_ Again Marleon completely forgot he was wearing a Team Instinct hat. He kept it on though, and stepped into the building. The place was completely covered in red, statues of various fire-type Pokemon lined the opening hallway, where he walked to be met at a front desk. The place opened up to reveal a great room, where he could see several chambers all around. Each space had trainers and Pokemon practicing attacks, running on stamina machines, and some even were sparring with one another. "Ahem...", the receptionist cleared her throat. "Ah...this is pretty impressive. Reminds me a lot of my friend Charstar's place on Lavatic Island.", he said. The receptionist smiled, "You'd be correct. This building is a collaboration with both Charstar and our leader, Candela.", she said, "Ms. Selene will be here in just a few moments."

Marleon continued to admire the building when he heard footsteps approach. Then, a voice he remembered from the last battle he had at the Rain Dance Gym, "Gyarados?!" He turned and was met face to face with Rose, who without warning ran and gave him a hug! "Grk!", Marleon wasn't expecting the embrace. "Holy cow, it's so good to see you! They said you had come back, and I had to see it for myself! And...", she noticed the hat, "You went with _Instinct?!_ " She backed off, a bit surprised at the sudden change of emotion. "Why didn't you pick Valor? You would have been awesome here!", she questioned. Marleon shrugged, "I just picked a team, I don't really care about-", but Rose shouted, " _Don't really care?! What's wrong with you!"_ Marleon grimaced. He finally got a good look at her. She was still wearing a hat with roses in it like he remembered six years ago, but her clothes were different, they looked more like sparring clothes. Leather in a dark shade of red. There was a Team Valor logo embroidered in the front. "I was only given a minute or so to pick. Honestly, if I knew more about the teams, I would have planned it better.", Marleon explained. Rose huffed, "I'm ashamed for you. Mariner City completely has our backs, and your old gym is here too. We could have totally dominated this island! I mean, we are...we have been for the past few years. But if we can establish a foothold for Team Valor here..."

"Rose, where is my Dragonite?", Marleon interrupted her. She blinked, and crossed her arms, "Why? You gave him up fair and square! He's not yours any longer.", she scoffed, then continued, "You never told me about the scars. I always wondered how he got them. If...if it was something you did, or..." Marleon shook his head, and pulled his jacket and shirt down so she could see the identical scarring across his shoulder, "We both have them, from the battle with Mewtwo. I would never do anything to hurt him like that!", he was starting to get annoyed. Rose settled a bit, but then repeated, "You can't have him. I won't let you take Dragonite away from us!" "Why not? Rose, I've already lost Drago today, I don't want-"

 _"Because he's in love with my Tyranitar!"_ , Rose shouted. Her voice reverberated through the building, causing those training to stop and look over. A small crowd gathered over the ledges above them to look down. Rose's fists were clenched, head down, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I can't...I can't separate them. Not now. Not after all the work we did.", she spoke. "Rose...", Marleon sighed. "At least...let me see him..." Some of the Valor trainers were now standing nearby, the commotion had turned into a scene. "Hey Rose, is this guy botherin' ya?", one of them asked. "Want us to kick him out of here?", asked another. "Ugh...damn 'In-stinks'!", a third muttered. Rose wiped her tears, and then looked around. "No, no I'm good. Back to work, all of you.", she spoke to her team. The trainers hesitantly went back to where they were, and then Rose was once again alone with Marleon. "I'll show you. Just so you know that he's been well taken care of. Come on.", she motioned, and began to walk down one of the halls. Marleon exhaled, and then followed. They went through a corridor where he could see several trainers and Pokemon doing synchronized movements. Stretches, punches, and poses. "Yoga...", Marleon spoke. "Yeah, and warm-ups for their routines. It gets them ready for the stresses of battle.", Rose responded. They continued until she stopped at a door, and flicking a keycard over a scanner, the door opened. She extended a hand for Marleon to enter, and he stepped inside. They were in a small viewing room with a few chairs. Marleon sat, Rose stood. Before them were several monitors, and Rose reached over and typed in a few coordinates for a particular chamber somewhere in the building. The screens all flicked to different angles of the same room, where Dragonite and Tyranitar were together. Targets would appear before them, and each Pokemon was using their own method to disperse them, including elemental punches, bites, tail whips, boulder throws...the two of them were moving at impressive speeds. Marleon watched silently as the two continued until all the targets were defeated. Both huffing, and then...Tyranitar leaned over to give Dragonite a kiss on the cheek. The big dragon smiled back, and the two held hands as they began to exit the room.

"Wow...they're incredible.", Marleon spoke. Rose nodded, "They've been inseparable since the adoption. Tyranitar was a challenge, but once we had Dragonite...and after I earned all the Fire Islands badges, she became much more obedient." "What happened after I left?", Marleon asked. Rose sighed. "I should have become the champion. I had just earned the last badge I needed to challenge for the title, when the league changed the rules on us. The commission adopted the new league system, and the former gyms were considered outdated. Soon, the new gyms were erected, and the three team leaders came to visit us. Candela saw my passion, especially after my victories over each of the gyms of the Fire Islands, so she appointed me to be a local leader for one of the islands. I chose to come here, and since then, we've been unstoppable." Marleon stood, "Alright, you took care of him, but...", though he didn't finish the sentence, Rose spoke over him, "Unfortunately they're in an area of the building that is above your clearance level. And I'd prefer the two of them to get their rest after their training."

She escorted Marleon out of the room and took him back to the front desk. "I'm glad to see you again, Gyarados. If only to thank you for Dragonite. I don't know where I'd be if he hadn't joined our team. But unfortunately, I'll have to ask you to leave, since this building is for Valor members.", Rose informed him. Marleon sighed, "I can't say I'm happy with this, especially since I didn't get to see him in person...", but Rose smiled, "Sometime soon we'll meet up, and you can see him again. And Gyarados?", she spoke. Marleon looked to her. "We've been on good terms with Team Instinct. I'm just glad you didn't pick Team Mystic. A bit of advice though...leave our red gyms alone. It's important that we keep our lead." She smiled after she said that, and turned to leave. Marleon was speechless, but he sighed, and saw himself out.


	5. Chapter 5 - Icy Wind

-Chapter 5-

 **Icy Wind**

He walked down the street after the visit to the Team Valor headquarters and found a bench to sit at. He sat and exhaled, leaning back to take in the sights of Mariner City. He watched as a red gym in the distance turned grey briefly, and then blue. A Team Mystic trainer nearly got into a fistfight with a Team Instinct one, the two getting into a screaming match before they parted ways, both angry. Marleon blinked at the sight. He wondered what that was about, but shrugged and looked at the list again. So far he had spoken with Chris Daté about his Gyarados, Drago, and then visited the Team Valor headquarters to see Dragonite. That fell through, the memory still fresh in his mind. He looked down the list again, the closest would be the Karp Cove Lighthouse to see if Ampharos was there. But he was really thinking about heading on to Hydrofoil Town and meeting the other two teams. The thought was interrupted when the muzzles of a Poochyena, a Houndour, and a Growlithe were all sniffing his hand and licking his pants. Marleon sat up as the dog pack snuck up on him, and turned to see a female Pokemon trainer wearing a Team Valor hoodie trying to pull the three dogs off of him. "Hey! Hey guys, back! Sorry sir!", she spoke. Marleon chuckled a bit, setting his list in his pocket before giving each of the dogs a rub on the head, "Oh it's just fine! So you're a dog walker?", he asked her. The trainer, named Kate, smiled, "They're all mine. I'm a fan of dog Pokemon.", she explained, tossing her brown hair back a bit. Marleon stared into her hazel eyes, the lady tugging the three dogs back again. She adjusted her glasses and said, "Let's go! Keep walk—Houndour, stop sniffing that! Come on!", the three dogs led the march again and Marleon waved as Kate was tugged away by the dog pack. He finally stood and started on his way to the other side of the island. He decided to go the north route this time, walking along the scenic route with the Oceana Coastline to his right, and the Aqua Rainforest to the left. This part of Rain Dance Island was left untouched, and was part of a natural habitat for water-type Pokemon. There were piers to fish off of but no docks due to the reef.

Soon he made it to Hydrofoil Town, and noticed the town was divided between Team Mystic and Team Instinct fandom. It was a nice change compared to seeing the domination of Team Valor in Mariner City, eventually deciding to stop at the Team Mystic headquarters first since it was the first one he'd find while in town. The building was equally as impressive as the one Team Valor had, the building was large and modern, shaped interestingly like a large crystal. The walls were completely covered in windows with a dark tint to it. Marleon could barely make out people walking around inside. He began to approach the front door, noticing a stylized Articuno logo above the door. He noticed it was similar to the Valor headquarters in that the doors had no handles, but as he began to step toward the intercom like before, the doors slid open and he felt a burst of cold air hit him. He hesitated, but then stepped inside, the door closing behind him. The interior was sleek, everything tinted in white and blue. The lights were all a calming light blue, and as he walked in, he saw several display cases with curiosities inside. The one that caused him to stop and look at it deeper was a golden feather that glistened in the light as it rotated slowly in a clockwise manner. "That looks like it's from...", he began to say, when someone spoke, "Ho-oh. Tailfeather to be precise. You must be Marleon Takenawa.". He sat up and looked over to find a trainer wearing a lab coat approaching him. He nodded, "Yes, I'm looking for a Mr. Heron.", he responded. The lab trainer nodded, "Team Mystic's local leader, Garrett. I'll page him for you. Please, let me escort you to the lobby."

He followed her and settled in a very comfortable leather recliner. While he sat, he took in the scenery. More display cases, containing relics from various Pokemon were around. There was a coffee table with magazines on it. He wasn't much of a reader so he ignored them for the most part, though the fronts caught his attention. A catalog about vacationing in Hoenn. An issue of "Slyph Monthly". A recent issue of "The Milotic". He began to reach for one of them when a large man stepped into view. "Gyarados! I don't believe it!", he spoke loudly and came over to shake his hand. Marleon stood up, taking a few moments to observe the man. He was bulky, black hair, goatee, wearing a blue shirt with a Team Mystic logo on the front. "Wait...I know you from somewhere...", he began to say. "Well sure you do! I'm Garrett Heron, the leader of Team Mystic here. But you'll remember me from about five or six years ago, at the beach. You and Lapras rescued me when I was being pulled into the ocean!", Garrett responded. Marleon blinked a few times, and then said, "Garrett! Yeah! That's amazing that you're still here!" They shook hands then, and then Garrett pulled him in for a hug. "I can't thank you enough for saving my life! And I'd never want to leave Rain Dance Island, especially since, well...I'm still trying to find someone here.", he spoke.

Marleon chuckled, "Who would that be?", he asked. Garrett smiled, "Articuno of course.", he spoke. "Oh yeah...the island went pretty crazy when there was a report that Articuno had been spotted flying along the Oceana Coastline. I couldn't leave the gym that day, I had back-to-back battles to do, but there were trainers tracking Articuno for months.", Marleon replied. Garrett nodded, "I think it's still here. But hey, I'm sure I know why you're here. You'd like to see Lapras, right?", he asked. Marleon's eyes widened, "Kinda read me like a book, huh? Yeah, I'd actually like to have him back if possible.", he requested. Garrett sighed and scratched his head a bit, "Might be a problem. We'll see. I'd have to get authorization from Blanche, since he's been instrumental in our research about Rain Dance Lapras.", the Mystic leader replied. "I see. Well maybe we can find a replacement...", Marleon began to say, when Garrett shook his head, "Unfortunately, that's going to be impossible. Lapras haven't been spotted here in years."

The former Rain Dance Gym Leader stared deeply into Garrett's eyes. "What? What are you talking about? This island has been a sanctuary for Lapras ever since I've lived here.", he spoke. Garrett closed his eyes, "There were a lot of greedy Pokemon trainers after you vanished. Without you around, they were being caught left and right. It took a few years, but they...simply stopped showing up at the island." Marleon clenched his hand into a fist, "This...this is terrible...all my hard work..." Garrett put a hand on Marleon's shoulder, "Well hey, let's go see your Lapras. I'm sure he'll be excited to see you again." Marleon settled and nodded, "Thanks, I'm looking forward to seeing him again. Tried to see Dragonite at the Team Valor place, but-", he began to say when Garrett interrupted him, "You've been inside the Team Valor headquarters? What were you doing there? I'm surprised you made it out in one piece!" Marleon smiled, "They weren't too bad, to be honest. But...I didn't actually get to see Dragonite. Just got confirmation that he was okay." Garrett shook his head, "Typical of Team Valor. Bunch of jerks. Come on, let's go see Lapras!"

Marleon followed Garrett, past several rooms. "So what is Team Mystic's deal?", he asked Garrett. The Mystic leader smiled, "We believe there are secrets to the power of Pokemon through evolution. We're studying the rates of their strength after they evolve. We can track their stats and see how dramatically they improve after the change. Some of the evolutions are remarkable.", he spoke. There were chambers Marleon could see with Pokemon floating in liquid-filled tubes. He stopped and looked in one, seeing a Grovyle in one and a Flaafy in another. "I've seen that before...", Marleon muttered. Garrett didn't realize he had stopped, and turned back to look in, "Ah, the stasis chambers. Don't worry, they are safe in there, the two of them are preparing for their evolution.", he spoke. Marleon felt the sweat beading on his head. "That looks like...", he had a moment where he remembered seeing Pokemon sleeping in tubes like this, right before Mewtwo's attacks on the Fire Islands. He felt a hand on his shoulder, "Relax. They're safe. Trust me.", Garrett spoke. Marleon sighed, and the two of them continued on the way. As they walked, Garrett stopped briefly and motioned to another room, "You remember Gallant, right?", he asked. Marleon nodded a little, "I think you mentioned him before, he was a Squirtle, right?" Garrett smiled, "Mhmm, well, he's become one of my best and brightest. And he's a Blastoise now." Marleon looked in and saw a Blastoise with several cords and monitors attached to him. "He's meditating, but in a few, he'll be in one of the test chambers blasting targets with his hydro cannon. Some think that Pokemon couldn't possibly be smart, well..Gallant has completely proven them wrong. He's exceptional with intuition and extraordinary with his strategy in battle." They carried on, and soon he was led to a hallway with a large window. "Take a look.", Garrett spoke. Marleon didn't realize right away, but the room on the other side of the window pane was submerged in water. He looked into the darkness, and gasped in surprise as he saw the silhouette of Lapras swimming about.

The chamber was dimly lit, and Marleon could see Lapras gracefully maneuvering through the water. There were rings that would illuminate, creating a pathway for the Lapras to follow, and he was proving the rumors of Rain Dance Lapras' agility were true. Marleon felt his eyes tear at the sight. Soon a bright "GOAL" lit up, and Lapras spun into it before slowing to a halt. "Time...48.2 seconds. Record broken.", a robotic voice spoke. Garrett grinned, "He's unbelievable, even for his size, he shouldn't be that fast. We can learn a lot about him...", he began, "But I understand that a bond like yours shouldn't be broken.", he then spoke through a microphone, "Bring Lapras to the surface. He has a visitor." Lapras even heard this, and looked to the window. He couldn't make out who it was from the silhouette, but he eagerly ascended up to the surface of the tank. Garrett pointed to a door nearby, "The stairs are there.", and without warning, Marleon ran to them, bursting the door open and running up the stairs. A few flights up, he opened the door that read "Warning – Water Chamber – Enter at your own risk"...and there was Lapras, floating at the surface. Some platforms were extended for him to meet in the center, and the moment he met eyes with Lapras, Marleon cried, "Lapras!"

The Pokemon recognized him at once, and cried back, "Gyao!", as his trainer ran forward and dived into the tank. Lapras swam up and wrapped him up in a hug between his flipper and chest. Marleon wrapped his arms around the Pokemon's neck, "I'm so happy to see you again!" Garrett had made it up the stairs and crossed his arms, snickering. "Well, what a sight.", he said to himself. Lapras let go and swooped under Marleon, where he would come to a rest on the Pokemon's shell. Once Marleon could stand again, the Lapras turned his head and exhaled happily. "Careful now, Marleon...this tank goes down about 70 feet. There's nothing down there to keep you from submerging.", Garrett said to him. The former Gym Leader gave a smile, "There's no way Lapras would let me drown, not in here. Besides...he's always been the best at rescues." Garrett chuckled, "Funny...I feel like I've heard that before..."

"Okay. Bring up the file for subject #316-131.", Garrett said. Marleon now stood in a room with him with several Team Mystic trainers working on reports, each at a desk with a laptop. There were quite a few Furret scurrying around, collecting papers, moving things around, doing other random tasks for the place. One of the trainers typed, and after a few clicks, a diagram of Marleon's Lapras came on a large monitor. Specs and stats were displayed next to the diagram. Garrett sighed, "Well, this'll be the hurdle we'll have to get through before I can release Lapras to you. Let me do the talking.", he said to Marleon, then he leaned down and pressed a button. A separate panel popped up on the screen, with a Team Mystic logo, and the words "Dialing..." in red. It rang a few times before a secretary answered, "Good afternoon, Team Mystic Main Office. How may I direct your call?", she spoke. Garrett answered, "Hey there. It's Garrett Heron of field office RDI-162. I have a question for Miss Blanche." The secretary nodded, "One moment please...", and the screen went back to the Team Mystic logo. A few moments later, the screen went to a visual of a chair. Garrett leaned over to Marleon, "It usually takes her a minute to...ah there she is.", he whispered. A woman came into the picture and sat, a cold look in her eyes, white hair and blue clothes. She began, "This is Blanche. You had a question for me, Mr. Heron?" "Hey Blanche. Yeah, I won't take up too much of your time. Hope things have been well there and-", he began to say, but Blanche cleared her throat, "What's the question?"

Garrett hesitated, "Oh, right, well...we'd like to release subect #316-131 so that he can be returned to his proper owner.", he explained. Blanche leaned in and studied the diagram, "Mhmm...Lapras with fastest documented speed and agility. And who would it be going to?", she asked. "That would be me.", Marleon stepped into the frame, "Marleon Takenawa, former Rain Dance Gym Leader." Blanche blinked a few times. "Mr. Heron, I suppose you'll have a good explanation as to why there is a member of Team Instinct in your lab.", she asked. Garrett grimaced. The hat! He turned to look at Marleon, but to his surprise, Marleon had taken off the Team Instinct cap that he had been wearing. "Wait, how did you know-?", Garrett began to ask, but then he saw that Blanche had brought up Marleon's file. It was right there on the screen – his gym stats, his gym team, and of course...the Team Instinct logo next to his photo. "Heron, you know we don't associate with the Instincts. I'll let it slide this time, but your request is denied.", Blanche spoke bluntly. "Miss Blanche, please! This Lapras belongs to him! They should be reunited!", Garrett pleaded his case. Blanche interlocked her fingers and sighed. Then looked to Marleon. "Tell me, Mr. Takenawa. Your gym was based around water, ice, and dragon-type Pokemon, correct?", she asked. Marleon nodded, "Yes, that's right." "I see. So please explain why you would have an Ampharos as a part of your team.", Blanche spoke. Marleon blinked. "Why does it matter? Ampharos was-", but Blanche interrupted, "And tell me, why did you only have a single Dragon-Type on your team? And a single Ice-Type for that matter too. In fact, your ratio primarily focused on Water-Types.", she inspected the team list, "With a hodgepodge of electric, ground, and flying thrown in. Care to explain that?", she asked. "They were my team for years! Why does it matter?", Marleon questioned her. Blanche's expression changed just slightly. "Well then. That explains your win rate. Last recorded at 32%.", she spoke.

The room fell silent for a few moments. Marleon sighed. "I don't know. I just picked the ones that I liked. I didn't care about what was considered to be the most effective choice. I picked the Pokemon that cared about me, and I cared about them." Blanche unfolded her hands. "That's all I needed to know. Mr. Heron?", she turned to Garrett, "The request has been denied. And as an addendum, your office will be restricted to Team Mystic members only. That is all.", and in an instant, Blanche disconnected. Garrett exhaled. Marleon sighed. "Marleon, I'm sorry.", Garrett spoke to him, but Marleon turned and headed out the door. "Sir! Let me show you the way to the lobby.", one of the Mystics spoke. And Marleon was escorted back to the front of the building, walking out without a word to anyone else.

Marleon found one of the parks and sat. He leaned back, exhaling, closing his eyes. There was a brown haired Team Mystic trainer letting her Vaporeon play in the fountain. The Vaporeon was splashing and enjoying itself while the trainer sipped on lemonade. Marleon wasn't paying attention to her, he just wanted to clear his head. First Drago, then Dragonite, now Lapras...at this point, he wasn't sure if he'd even be able to get the last three back. "Gyarados! There you are!", someone called. Marleon opened one eye, and looked over to see Garrett running to him. He sat up and rubbed his head, "Look, I don't want to talk to anyone right now.", Marleon said. Garrett huffed and had to lean on the bench. "Give me a second...phew...someone said they saw you here, so I just ran all the way here.", Garrett leaned up and popped his back, "Oof...", he exhaled. Marleon blinked, "What were you looking for me for?", he asked. Garrett smiled, "I couldn't promise you Lapras, but...I still wanted to thank you for saving my life. So here.", he held out a Great Ball, with a Team Mystic logo etched in the top. "What's this?", Marleon asked. "Just open it. I think you'll like her...", Garrett grinned.

Marleon opened the ball, and out came a Swablu. The bird yawned and looked around. Marleon blinked a few times, leaning over, "Swablu...I've always wanted one.", he reached a hand down to the bird, who hopped back and looked up at him, a little startled. "Don't be afraid.", he spoke to Swablu. The bird looked to Garrett, who put a hand on Marleon's shoulder. "Today's a big day for you, my friend. This is your new trainer, and he's going to help you fulfill your dream of becoming an Altaria!", Garrett spoke. The Swablu's eyes widened, and fluttered right up Marleon's arm and began to nuzzle into his neck, "Hey hey!", the Gym Leader jumped at the sudden movements. Garrett laughed, "That got her attention! I think the two of you will be perfect together. Train her well, and she'll be a fantastic Dragon-Type for your team." Marleon reached up and cupped Swablu in his hands, "Okay okay, calm down.", he smiled, "So, you'd like to be an Altaria, huh? Well that sounds just fine to me. Welcome to the team, Swablu!" "And listen...I'll talk with Blanche again. We're close to finishing our tests on Lapras anyway, so I doubt she'll have us keep him forever.", Garrett spoke. Marleon nodded, "Well, I guess that's better than nothing. I wanted to ask you something though.", he replied, "Why are you being this nice to me, especially since we're not on the same team?" Garrett grinned, "Look around you, Marleon. Team Instinct is much more allied with Team Mystic than you'd think. That's why both of us are on this side of the island. We may have our disagreements, but we have a common enemy in Team Valor. Sure, I was a little surprised that you didn't join my team since you like ice-type Pokemon, but I think Team Instinct is a good fit for you. V is a good leader, and you'll fit in just fine with them." "V? I haven't actually met him.", Marleon said, but Garrett shook his head, "'Her', I never found out why she calls herself that, but who knows. Anyway, I've gotta get back to work. We'll meet up again sometime.", Garrett gave a thumbs up and went back in the direction of the Team Mystic headquarters. Marleon looked down at Swablu once more, who had nestled herself in his palms and fallen asleep. He sighed, not wanting to move now as not to wake her up, but he had things to do. He carefully took the Great Ball and returned the bird, clipping her on his belt next to the ball containing Drago.

He started toward Lapras Lagoon, where Team Instinct's building should be located. It was already starting to get late in the afternoon, so he hurriedly walked. And then he heard a cracking noise. Marleon stopped, looking around. "Huh?", he thought he heard something, and he took another few steps when he heard the cracking again. He realized it was the egg in his incubator, "Oh?", he took it off and set it on the ground. He popped the lid open, a puff of air escaped from the incubator and he took the egg out. "Oh hey, his egg is hatching!", someone nearby said. A small crowd began to gather around Marleon. He didn't realize there were so many around, it looked like a uniform selection from the different teams. "Any idea what it is?", a Team Valor trainer wearing aviator goggles asked. Her Gengar watched eagerly, snickering to himself. Romina smiled, "Gengar, what do you think it is?", and the Gengar looked to her and spoke, "Gengar! Gengar!" The other trainers began to make bets as to what would hatch. Some thought it'd be one of the starter Pokemon, others expected something like a Ponyta or a Cubone. Marleon was pretty sure what to expect, as the egg finally hatched. A light emitted from the egg, and once it subsided, Marleon's eyes widened.

Magikarp! But not just any Magikarp! It was a shiny, golden one! "Karp! Karp karp karp karp...", the Magikarp flailed on the ground, panicking. "Hey, hey! Relax...", Marleon scooped the fish up and pressed it to his chest. He had a keen eye for telling the genders of water-types. This one was a male. He began to smile, now realizing that a lifelong dream of his had just happened, when he was least expecting it. "Hmph...well that was anticlimactic.", someone spoke nearby, "Worthless Pokemon there, you might as well transfer it to the Professor." Marleon sat up, "Who said that?", he asked. He looked around the crowd. The Valor trainer with the Gengar had moved on, as a few of the trainers had as well. A man wearing an "Instinct Lv 40" jacket approached. "Yeah, you've got a worthless Pokemon there. The intrinsic value stats are terrible. There's no point in even trying to raise it." Marleon glared at the man, "I've waited a long time...years...for this day to happen. And you just had to ruin it.", he stood and approached the Instinct. The man shrugged, "Well, I'm just stating the obvious. Might as well-", but as he began to repeat himself, Marleon grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him forward. "Hey!", the man shouted. Marleon stared him eye to eye, then said, "Never underestimate a Pokemon, especially not a Magikarp. I taught that lesson for a long time here on Rain Dance Island, the value of respect...looks like it's been lost already." He let go, and the Instinct stumbled back. He huffed, "You're lucky that you're on my team, or I'd demolish you in a Pokemon battle right now! Damn. If it weren't for the rules that we can't fight our teammates. You don't deserve to be an Instinct!"

The crowd dispersed, and Marleon picked Magikarp up and held him again. The fish was calmer now. There was a Team Mystic trainer wearing a Magikarp shirt, who had a Zubat flying around her. Jensen approached, "That's fantastic, I love Magikarp! And you got a shiny!", she smiled. "It's a shame about some of the trainers here, though. There are those who don't understand the value of friendship with our Pokemon. Some who only see them as percentages of stats.", she spoke. Marleon nodded, "I heard the same sort of thing earlier. But as I said before, none of that really mattered to me. My Pokemon chose me, and I stick by them, even if they're not as strong as others of their kind.", he said. Jensen chuckled, "All the teams love their Pokemon, I don't think there's a right or wrong choice. Sure, there might be a little bit of difference in personalities. I'd have expected that man's attitude as more of a Valor, but he clearly chose Instinct." Marleon smiled, "Well thanks, that does make me feel better about all of this." Jensen nodded, "Good luck! Take care!", and she departed.


	6. Chapter 6 - Thunder

-Chapter 6-

 **Thunder**

Marleon kept going until he neared the shore on the edge of Hydrofoil Town. He was told that the Team Instinct building was close to Lapras Lagoon, and as he kept walking, he noticed a large facility begin to appear into view. He stopped when he could get a good look at it – the building wasn't as sleek and technologically advanced as the Team Mystic and Team Valor buildings, but it was definitely much bigger as far as square footage. In fact, there was a good amount of space for Pokemon to roam and enjoy. He noticed a sign nearby, with the words "Pokemon Center" and an arrow pointing to the building. Marleon blinked, looking back at the facility. Clearly that was the Team Instinct Zapdos logo on the front. Maybe it doubled as a Pokemon Center for Hydrofoil Town. Marleon always thought there should be one on this side of the island so that Pokemon trainers didn't have to go all the way back to Mariner City to heal their Pokemon.

As he approached, he noticed a few other things, namely that there was a barn, and several Miltank grazing peacefully in the pasture. This part of the facility was more inland, away from the shore. He continued and finally approached the building. It had some of the same aesthetic as the buildings on Rain Dance Island, they kept the same design. Though the lights on the outside were interesting, whirring with electricity and glowing brightly. The emblem of Zapdos was backlit with a bright yellow. He noticed the handles on the door, no keycard or anything to get inside. He opened it and stepped in, walking into a small foyer. The electrical theme continued inside, the place lit with a warm yellow and those bright lights also inside. There was a sign on the wall directly in front of him, an arrow pointing to the left signifying the Pokemon Center, and an arrow to the right with a smaller Team Instinct logo. Marleon looked to the left briefly, seeing another Nurse Joy chatting with a young Team Mystic trainer. There was a Starly sitting on the counter, fast asleep. He smiled, and began to turn when a Team Valor trainer rushed in, "Emergency!", he called. Marleon quickly repeated, "Emergency!", to Nurse Joy, who broke her conversation with the younger Team Mystic trainer, grabbing a stretcher and calling a few Chansey to help. Marleon held the door open and realized the Team Valor trainer was supporting a Charizard, who was clearly in pain. "What's the patient's condition?", Nurse Joy asked, as the Chansey pushed the stretcher up to Charizard and eased the large fire type onto it. "He got poisoned really badly. I didn't have any antidotes, so...", the Valor trainer replied, and Nurse Joy nodded, "That's all we need to know. Chansey, to the emergency room! I'll get the antidote." "Chansey!", the Pokemon responded, wheeling the stretcher in and turning left to go into the Pokemon Center. "I shouldn't have challenged that Mystic...didn't know her Nidoqueen was going to be that strong...", the Valor spoke. "It'll be alright, Charizard is in good hands here.", Marleon assured him. The trainer nodded, and went into the Pokemon Center. Marleon, however, decided to head down the short hallway to the Team Instinct side of the building. He had a bit of a smile on his face. It was good this location was here, because if there wasn't a Pokemon Center here in Hydrofoil Town...who knows what might have happened to that Charizard.

He was soon in another small foyer where the entrance to the Team Instinct headquarters was located. As to be expected, the door was an automatic one with no door handles, a keypad and a comm system to one side of the door. Marleon paged the front desk, "Hi there, I'm an Instinct.", he spoke into the box. A few seconds later, a voice responded, "Please confirm with your trainer card." Marleon pulled out his Pokedex, opening it up and showing his trainer card displayed on the screen. "Instinct confirmed. Welcome home, Marleon Takenawa.", and the door opened after he heard those words. He stepped inside the grand room, and saw Pokemon trainers walking with various Pokemon, a few he noticed were limping or struggling to walk. There were some that seemed to be amputees. A Scyther missing a whole arm, for example. The place was brimming with electrical currents that doubled as both the light source as well as the power for the building. In the center of the room was a massive gyroscope that was spinning and rotating impressively. Marleon probably stared at it for a good five minutes before he realized the receptionist was waiting for him. "Sir? We need to make you a keycard.", he spoke to Marleon. "Hmm? Oh, right.", the former Gym Leader chuckled a bit, looking around some more. He noticed a good amount of Miltank walking about. It made sense why they were here, since their milk had healing properties. "Smile for the camera!", the receptionist spoke, and Marleon turned and flashed a soft smile, then a whir of noise could be heard and a keycard popped out of a machine. The receptionist attached a lanyard and handed it to him, "I'll let Miss V know you are here. She's been eager to meet you, and hey, welcome to Team Instinct!"

Marleon nodded. He didn't know who this "V" was, only that Quagsire was here somewhere. He waited for a little while before a dark-skinned woman approached. She was wearing a bomber-style jacket with a small Team Instinct patch on the left side. Her pale hair was styled in a way where a large portion covered part of her face, tapering to a tip. Her eyes were calm, a dour look on her face. "It's good to see you again, Gyarados.", she spoke calmly. Marleon blinked, "You look familiar.", he began to say. He noticed a Lairon was by her side. "Lairon...wait...Vicky?", he asked. V's pupils shrunk at the mention of the name. "So you do remember me. But please...I don't go by that name anymore. Just 'V'.", she said, tossing her hair a bit, "You caused quite a commotion on the island so far. Tell me, why didn't you come here first?", she asked bluntly. "Well, I was already in Mariner City when I arrived this morning, and I have a list with my Pokemon team. I needed answers from both Rose and Garrett, as well as...", he closed his eyes briefly. A vision of Drago flashed in his mind. V blinked, "Bad news, then?", she asked. "I've already lost one Pokemon today, and two more were refused to be turned back over to me.", Marleon explained. "Lost how? Death?", V asked. Marleon nodded, "My Gyarados, Drago...she was left in the Rain Dance Gym for about a year after it was closed by the city. She only survived the year thanks to some Pokemon who were living at the gym. But...she didn't make it." V closed her eyes as well, "I'm sorry. I remember her. She was beautiful.", then she opened her eyes, "I'm guessing you're about to ask me about Quagsire..."

Marleon nodded, "How is he?" V cleared her throat, "I'm not going to sugar coat it – he isn't well.", she began to say, "He's alive. But he's suffering." Marleon stepped forward, "Show me. I have to see him." V exhaled, "Of course.", and she turned and began to escort Marleon into the facility. He walked past a few Miltank who were waddling around the place. There were several trainers sitting in chairs, doing research. Marleon also noticed several chambers, but not like the ones he saw at Team Valor's location. These looked more medical, capsules where he could see Pokemon resting inside. V saw him looking into the rooms, and spoke, "We have several important roles as members of Team Instinct. Primarily, we are researching the nature of eggs and hatching. You'll see several incubation rooms here. But as you probably noticed, there are recovery rooms too. We have partnered with the Pokemon Center to assist in helping many Pokemon recover from battle. Sadly, many of them come to us in rough conditions." Marleon nodded, "I saw a few amputees." "Yes. Their injuries are from various incidents. Wrongful cohabitation. Inexperienced trainers taking on opponents too powerful. And in rare cases, mistreatment.", V replied. Marleon shook his head, "That's terrible. I don't know how anyone could abuse their Pokemon like that. I just can't fathom it..."

They stopped at a room and V knocked on the door. A trainer inside the room opened the door, and she spoke, "Quagsire has a visitor." The trainer opened the door fully for them, and V motioned him inside. There Marleon stepped in, and saw Quagsire for the first time in six years. The room was small, and he was sitting in a pool with water running, cycling. Quagsire's eyes were closed, and he was covered in vines. "Quagsire...?", Marleon asked, approaching him, reaching over. He put a hand on Quagsire's head. The Pokemon was warm, but trembling, and never opened his eyes. Marleon touched one of the vines, and felt a sharp pain in his finger. "Grnn!", he grunted and pulled back, looking at his hand. His finger began to swell, "What the...?"

V stepped forward, "It's an aggressive strain of Leech Seed.", she spoke. "A few years ago, Rain Dance Island was attacked by Team Rocket. The city rallied to defend the island, but their Pokemon were powerful...and it was apparent that they had been experimented on. A Rocket grunt challenged me with a Serperior, and I called upon Lairon to battle. Lairon did his best to battle, but the Serperior was just too fast. And then the Leech Seed...Lairon also was hit by it, but his metal body withstood the attack. The Rocket's Serperior was too strong, and Lairon was knocked out.", she explained, "I went to call on another Pokemon, but Quagsire chose to take on Serperior. He...he saved us all that day. I had never seen such a powerful water attack. Even if Serperior was strong against water, it was more than enough to repel the Pokemon and wash Team Rocket and their Pokemon into the ocean. Then...Quagsire went to help Lairon up...and the Leech Seed latched onto him. With Quagsire being a ground and water type, the seed grew rapidly inside of him. We tried to cure it, but...", she sighed, "...but it has burrowed too far into him. And we don't have an answer as to how to cure him. One wrong move, and he may die."

Marleon looked back Quagsire. The Pokemon seemed so calm, but he knew...Quagsire was in so much pain. "Damn it...", Marleon muttered. "Maybe...I might have someone who could help.", he began to say, turning to V, "But you're probably not going to like it." V looked to him, "I'm listening.", she spoke. "When I was at the Team Mystic headquarters, there were a lot of trainers doing research. I could ask Garrett-", but V interrupted, "Won't do any good. I've tried. Garrett thinks we have some sort of secret to the location of Articuno, and won't tell us anything until we help him locate the bird. In fact, I'd say he's obsessed with finding that bird." "Well we have to do something. I can't stand seeing Quagsire like this. I'll try talking to him about it. I think he'd listen to me, especially now that he has promised to help me get Lapras back.", Marleon explained.

It was getting late, and he noticed several of the rooms shutting down. The machines stayed on of course, the recovery chambers were lit dimly to allow the Pokemon to sleep. The incubators continued to rotate. There were Team Instinct trainers staying up to monitor them, but many of the others were walking down some of the corridors. "I should go, there should be power at the Rain Dance Gym again...I hope.", Marleon said. V smiled a bit, "I don't think you'd want to travel to Mariner City this late. Besides, there are always Pokemon trainers out there trying to do late-night battles. The gyms will change teams a bit in the middle of the night. Not really our style of course.", she said. Marleon crossed his arms, "That reminds me, I was wondering why Team Instinct is showing so much restraint. Why aren't you attacking more of the gyms?", he asked. V shook her head, "It's just not our time yet. Yes, the gyms are important. You probably noticed that our headquarters here aren't as impressive as the other two, right?", she asked. Marleon looked around a bit. He didn't really catch onto that, but it was true – the technology was a little older here in comparison to Team Mystic and Team Valor. The other two teams' headquarters were about as well funded as they could possibly get. "So now you probably know what the gyms are even there for. It's all about funding. The more control a team has of the island, the more of the profits their team gets, and the more upgrades and such to the headquarters.", V spoke. "But why? Why hold back?", Marleon asked. "It's just not the right time. Besides, we have everything we need, and sure, more funding would be good, but we are doing our part without getting involved. I'm actually enjoying watching Rose and Garrett squabble. It's quite amusing.", she chuckled softly. "It makes sense. Both of them think we're on their side. Well, Rose threatened me about taking gyms, and Garrett seemed to think Mystic and Instinct were natural allies."

"It's late. We'll discuss this later. You can find dinner in the mess hall, and then we reserved Room 634 for you. Relax and get your rest. This is your home now.", V put a hand on his shoulder, "Remember. _There is no shelter from the storm._ ", her last words before she walked off, Lairon following behind. Marleon watched her leave, before he looked to the walls to find his way around. He would step into the mess hall and grab a few prepackaged things to take to his room. He eventually found Room 634 and swiped his keycard. He stepped inside, and blinked in surprise as there was a large plush Dragonair on the bed. The room was relatively basic, but had a cabin feel to it. Much like an upscale motel room, with Team Instinct flair all around. He set his meal aside and looked at the note by the plush on the bed. "Marleon, this was made just for you from a member of our team. Hope it keeps you company. -V" He chuckled a little bit, giving the plush's head a rub before he went into the bathroom. He cut the water on in the tub, filling it up to the brim before he took Magikarp's Pokeball and released him into the bathtub. "Karp! Karp karp karp karp!", Magikarp complained. Marleon smiled, "Ah...too hot?", he asked. He turned the cold tap on, and adjusted the water for Magikarp. The golden fish settled, "Karp...karp...", he spoke, calmer. Marleon smiled, "I'm sure you'll like having a place to swim for a bit. Oh...", he reached down and nearly took Drago's Pokeball off his belt. Wrong ball. He was glad he didn't accidentally try to bring her out. Instead, he took the Great Ball and released Swablu. The bird yawned and looked around. "Swablu, meet Magikarp. You two are the first members of my new team.", Marleon spoke. The bird hopped on the tub and looked down to the golden Magikarp. The fish glared at the bird. Swablu yawned once more, and hopped down, waddling back into the room. "Heh...guess you two will get to know each other better sometime. Get some sleep, Magikarp.", he spoke and gave the shiny fish a rub. He stepped back into the room, and crossed his arms. Swablu was asleep right in the center of the bed, cuddling up to the Dragonair plush. "Great...", Marleon grimaced, "Guess I can't move her." He sat at a desk and munched on the food he picked out, before cutting the lights off and climbing into bed, being careful not to disturb Swablu when he did. He rested his head on the pillow, thinking about everything he had experienced on his first day back. Drago's death. Dragonite and Rose's Tyranitar together. Lapras...and Blanche's refusal to return him. And Quagsire's situation. He closed his eyes, having a restless night.

He fell out of bed, dinging his head on the nightstand next to him. He sat up and groaned, rubbing the tender spot on his head. No blood, but it left him with a good headache. He stood and looked over to the bed. Swablu was splayed right in the center, snoring loudly, the Dragonair plush draped across her like a makeshift blanket. Marleon kept rubbing his head, deciding this would be the last time he'd let her sleep on the bed like that. He went into the bathroom and turned the light on, completely forgetting Magikarp was in the bathtub. The fish flailed at once, excited to see him, "Kaaaarp!" Marleon nearly jumped, his adrenaline was all over the place this morning. "Magikarp you scared the hell outta me!", he huffed.

He returned Magikarp and drained the tub, getting a shower and then got dressed. He then turned the television on while he continued to wake up. "Good morning, Rain Dance Island! I'm Cindy!", the female newscaster spoke, her male counterpart continuing, "And I'm Tommy! Here are your gym stats for the day, brought to you by the Law Office of Docket Deeds! 'Don't say neigh, call today!'" A graph popped up on the screen, and the newscasters commentated, "As you can see, Team Mystic has taken the lead for the day. They control half of the gyms on the island, at 15 gyms blue. Team Valor controls 9 gyms, and Team Instinct with 6." Marleon noticed Swablu had woken up, and after she had a minute to yawn, he returned her and headed out. He walked by the mess hall, but noticed it was crowded. Marleon passed on getting a free breakfast, and instead decided on picking up something in town. Hydrofoil Town was famous for having some good restaurants after all. He also reviewed his list. The Hydrofoil Aquarium was the closest to him since it was in town, so he'd see if he could find Lanturn there. Afterward, he would go back to the east side of the island where the Karp Cove Lighthouse was. Ampharos was supposed to be there.

The Team Instinct headquarters was bustling already. A few trainers were gathered around an egg that was hatching, that Marleon could hear had hatched into an Omanyte. That's strange...he thought those were extinct. He noticed a Machamp walking by as well, one of its arms was bandaged up pretty well. Still imposing though, he didn't look the Pokemon in the eye when the Machamp walked by, but did turn and watch as it settle on a medical chair and lean back. The trainers attached some things to the arm, and Machamp began a session of electro-therapy. Marleon smiled a bit. This was the sort of place Rain Dance Island needed. He was pretty happy with his choice of team.

He stepped outside right as a steady rain began to fall. Should have checked the forecast. Marleon began to run, about the time a large thunderbolt struck nearby. The thunderclap was immediate. That was way too close, in fact he could even hear the tree it had struck crackle and fall. At least the town wasn't too far, and he kept running before he made it to Main Street. A few of the restaurants had their "Open" lights on. He needed breakfast, so he picked the first one he saw and went inside, about the time a second thunderclap sounded. The rain intensified at that moment, and he exhaled. Made it just in time.

Marleon sat at the bar, dripping a bit from the rain. He looked around, now recognizing this used to be Sadie's Noodle Bar. It looked more like a standard cafe now, with knickknacks nailed to the walls and various TVs mostly broadcasting the news. There were a few with live coverage of a Pokemon tournament from Johto. He also caught a glimpse of a few Team Mystic flags hanging on the walls. A lot of them actually. It was about this time he looked forward and didn't realize the bartender was standing in front of him, his arms crossed. "Oh, hey! Killer rain out there, huh? I didn't recognize the place, this used to be a noodle bar, right?", Marleon asked. The bartender's eyes twitched. "Alright, well...what do you have for breakfast?", Marleon asked. "You've got a lotta nerve comin' in here, you know.", the Bartender replied. Marleon blinked, "Huh?", he asked. "You clearly didn't see the sign in the front. 'Team Mystic Only'. We don't serve wimpy Instincts here.", the Bartender spoke. At this time, Marleon noticed a small crowd gathering around him. All wearing blue. He sighed, "Look, I don't want trouble. I'll leave as soon as the rain lets up.", he spoke. The Bartender looked around at his patrons, and nodded to them. They grumbled and sat down, and then he spoke to Marleon, "Fair enough. I don't want to see you in here again."

The Gym Leader stood and walked back to the door. He waited a good ten minutes for the rain to settle, looking down the streets for anything that looked like it'd be more friendly for his team. There was another restaurant close by that had an illuminated Team Instinct logo, and once the rain settled, he hurriedly crossed the street and went into the other restaurant. He slipped inside, exhaling. And looked around to see all eyes on him. "Hey it's Gyarados!", one of the patrons spoke. "Gyarados actually did join Team Instinct!", another cheered. Marleon relaxed, at least it was a little friendlier in here. The restaurant had been here for some time, he remembered coming here before. It was a tea and bakery sort of cafe. "Welcome in, Gyarados!", the host spoke, "We've saved a seat here just for you." Her name was Pippi, and she led Marleon over to a booth where he sat and observed the scenery. Much like the restaurant across the street, this one was covered in team flags, though for Team Instinct instead of Team Mystic. The décor was more homely, with display cases full of cakes and other sweets. "What can we get you? It'll be on the house, you're a celebrity after all.", Pippi spoke, pen at the ready to write down his order. Marleon didn't really know what to ask for, "Please, you don't have to do that. I can pay.", he asked, but Pippi smiled, "I insist. You helped my Will a long time ago. It's the least I can do to thank you." Marleon chuckled, remembering Will. He was the last trainer that got to participate in the Lapras Event right before Marleon disappeared. "Oh! Will was a good kid, and a fantastic Pokemon Trainer! I hope he's been doing well!", the Gym Leader responded. Pippi chuckled, "He's just fine. He and his Lapras have been representing for Team Instinct in the Alola region." Marleon grinned. "Outstanding! Hmm...surprise me on the order. I'm happy to try anything."

Pippi smiled, "Right away!", and she walked off. Marleon leaned back in the booth and looked around the room again. There were quite a few Pokemon trainers here, even some buddy Pokemon hanging by their masters. Even the buddies were enjoying breakfast. A short time later, Pippi returned and placed a few things before Marleon – a croissant filled with chocolate, a few petit-fours, a piece of baklava, and an espresso. She also placed a small bowl with some circular puffs in it. "This is for your Pokemon. Enjoy!", she bowed and went to serve the other patrons. Marleon smiled. This was very kind of her. He pushed his plates to the side before he pulled out the two Pokeballs with Magikarp and Swablu, releasing them. Swablu looked around curiously before she hopped onto the table and found the puffs immediately. She began to eat, cooing softly. Magikarp, of course, began to flop and panic on the stall. "Karp!", he complained. Marleon rolled his eyes, reaching over and taking a few of the puffs in his hand and began to hand feed Magikarp. The fish settled and ate, though still sideways. The Gym Leader used his other hand to enjoy his own breakfast.

With the three of them fed, he returned the two Pokemon about the time Pippi returned. "How was everything?", she asked. Marleon nodded, "This was fantastic. But...I need to ask...", he began, "Is this restaurant only for Instincts?" "Of course. We wouldn't serve anyone but the best here. _There is no shelter from the storm!_ ", Pippi replied. A few of the other trainers in the bakery raised their fists up, " _No shelter from the storm!_ " they called out. Marleon's smile faded a bit, "Hmm...well. I was on the receiving end of that before I came in here. I went into the restaurant across from you by mistake, the one that supports Team Mystic.", he said. Pippi crossed his arms, "If you ask me, they're the only 'mistakes' around here. What did they do? Did you get hurt?", she asked. Marleon shook his head, "No, they just kicked me out because of the team thing. But listen...I don't understand why there's so much animosity about the team choice.", he spoke. Pippi sighed, "I'll admit...I had more customers when I could serve anyone. But the other restaurants followed suit on picking a team and only letting those team members come in. Will chose Team Instinct, so of course I'd pick the team he liked." "But it's not fair for the Mystics and Valors...", Marleon sighed. Pippi hesitated, but nodded, "You're right. I'll speak to my fellow restaurateurs about the matter and see if we can't put a stop to this. I'm sure Jack next door will be on board. His restaurant went with Team Valor but he's been welcoming everyone lately." Marleon smiled, "I think it'll be fine to have your preference and to display the team proudly, but it's in a step in the right direction to let anyone come and enjoy your dream."

He left afterward, looking out at the weather. The sky was still overcast, but at least the rain had stopped. He had the address for the Hydrofoil Aquarium, in fact he remembered exactly where it was located in the center of town. As he walked, he did pay more attention to the restaurants. Many of them had the signs that he didn't notice at first. "Valor Only", "Team Instincts Only Welcome Here" "Mystic Only, All Others Stay Out". It made his heart sink seeing the division. This wasn't the Rain Dance Island he remembered. He continued until he saw the large building that was the aquarium. There was a mural of Lanturn painted on the side of the building, and another of a Mantine. He was impressed with it, though remembering that it was always covered in paintings of Buizels and Floatzels before. The change was nice, and he was almost sure why they picked Lanturn for the painting. He found the entrance and approached the ticket counter. "Hi there, one please.", he asked. The cashier smiled, "Trainer Card, please.", he responded. Marleon blinked, "Oh, right...", he reached into his pocket and took out his Pokedex, holding it up. The cashier used a scanner and scanned a barcode displayed on the trainer card, then said, "Okay, you're good to go in!" Marleon blinked, "Uhh, wait, how much do I owe you?", he asked. The cashier chuckled, "Today is a free day for Team Instinct members. It's on rotation during the week. You must not have known that, but it's your lucky day, huh?", he responded. Marleon shrugged, "Guess so! Thanks.", and he went into the aquarium.

It was much larger inside than he remembered. There were tanks that held all sorts of different water-type Pokemon. Marleon was familiar with all of them of course, but he could see the wonder in the eyes of the others walking around as they watched Sharpedos and Mantine swim gracefully in the giant tanks. There was a small section that had Horsea and Seadra. Marleon remembered having a Seadra on his team at one point. He missed her, she was a good addition to the team. He would continue and see a tank with an Octillery, with signs all around saying "No flash photography!". He carried on, looking at tanks filled with Krabby, Luvdisc, Whiscash...even a separate area filled with Piplup and Prinplup. Not the attraction he was looking for. In fact, he looked at his list again. Mr. Giant. He wondered who that could be. Eventually, he found someone who worked at the aquarium and asked if they knew a Mr. Giant. "Not sure, let me check...", the worker said, walking over to the wall and picking up a phone to dial the management. "Hello...we have a man here looking for a Mr. Giant. Okay. Thanks.", she hung up the phone and turned to Marleon. "Ed Giant is the announcer for the Chinchou and Lanturn show. You'll find him there, I think the next show is in about twenty minutes." Marleon nodded, "Ah, thanks.", and looked at a map to find where this show was located at. Though in his mind, he was thinking about that name, and the occupation as well. It struck him almost immediately. He never did ask Ed what his last name was when he worked for Marleon at the Rain Dance Gym. It had to be him, Marleon was sure of it."

He waited for the show to start, being the first person in the stands. There was a large tank there, and pictures of Lanturn and Chinchou all about. He leaned back and thought about this. If his Lanturn was involved in the show, there was a good chance he might not want to leave. Or as the situation lately has been, he will be refused to be released back to Marleon. He was getting used to the rejection.

A little while later, the stands had filled with more people. The lights dimmed. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Hydrofoil Aquarium!", an announcer spoke. Marleon recognized the voice immediately, as a spotlight hit a man standing on a platform. "My name is Ed, and I welcome you to today's show featuring the water-and-electric Pokemon, Chinchou and their evolved form, Lanturn! Relax and enjoy!", he gave a salute and the lights dimmed again. Marleon smiled while the applause sounded in the crowd. He was glad Ed was still doing what he loved to do. A song vocalized, beautiful singing while shapes began to emerge in the tank. The colors were distinctively yellow, orbs floating in the water. They began to move about, making geometric shapes to the singing, synchronized to the harmony. The music picked up some, and a ring began to glow neon above the tank. The crowd gasped as a Chinchou hopped up and passed through the ring. A second one did the same. The third one was a little short and got stuck on the bottom of the ring, wiggling a bit before slipping off and dunking in the water. The crowd giggled at that. But then a pair of Lanturn began to dive out of the water in unison, circling the tank together, before they both took their places. The two fish swam quickly and jumped for the ring, almost looking as if they were going to collide with one another. One went high, the other went low, and they barely grazed each other as they passed the ring in unison before both splashed in the water. The crowd cheered at the spectacle. Marleon was even clapping. The ring disappeared, and the Pokemon under the water began to make shapes of various Pokemon using their glowing orbs. First, a Charizard shape. Then a Lucario. Then...a Gyarados. Marleon wondered if that was on purpose. The show carried on for a little longer before, at the very end, all the Pokemon did a fantastic leap out of the water and descended with a giant splash. The lights came on, and Ed returned, "How was that, folks? We hope you enjoyed the show and enjoy your stay here in Hydrofoil Town!"

The crowd applauded once more and began to disperse. Marleon stood, "Ed! Ed!", he began to call, but the crowd thought it was part of the show, joining in and doing a chant. "Ed! Ed! Ed!", they chanted. The announcer smiled and gave a bow, looking at the crowd. Marleon wasn't sure if he was even able to be picked out from the crowd, but the announcer turned and walked backstage. Marleon sighed. That wasn't the plan. He followed the crowd out where they could look at the Pokemon who were in the show through a viewing glass into the tank. The Chinchou glowed peacefully, not really minding the patrons as they swam idly. The two Lanturn, though, were playing with the audience, opening their mouths like they were trying to eat the children. They scared a few of them while the parents laughed. Marleon waited patiently. The crowd took a long time to move on, but eventually he was the last person to step up to the window. He looked at the Lanturn there, who had swam back into the tank away from the glass. They didn't even notice him there, the male and female playing a bit. Marleon wanted to bang on the glass to get their attention, but he knew that was against the rules here. The last thing he wanted to do was to be kicked out of the place. He just pressed his hand into the glass, watching Lanturn and his mate swim about.

It was enough to make him choke up. It was his Lanturn, no doubt about it. And he was so happy with his family. Marleon lowered his head, a few tears rolling down his cheeks, before he began to turn away. But he noticed something, and looked up. Lanturn, his male, had come to the window, and was looking at him. "Lanturn...", Marleon spoke. The male recognized his old trainer, and began to glow his orb a bright, beautiful shade of blue. The female Lanturn joined in, giving her mate a nuzzle before she was glowing a blue light on her orb. The Chinchou all came close, all their eyes on Marleon as they joined their parents. The Pokemon all pulsing blue lights on the other side of the glass. It caused a commotion as the patrons around looked over and saw the lights, and the lone man standing at the window. Marleon wiped his tears, then looked up to his old friend in the tank. He was happy for Lanturn. He began to turn when he was met with a friendly face. "I don't believe it! Marleon Takenawa!", Ed was standing before him, along with his Sandslash. The former Gym Leader wiped his eyes once more, "Ed! Good to see you again!". He put a fist up. Ed laughed, and reached over, giving him a fist bump. "We've gotta catch up. I heard you were back in town. Trying to get the gym up and running again?", Ed asked. Marleon looked back to Lanturn, "I...I was going to try to, but the way things have been looking, I don't know if it'll happen. I haven't gotten the old team back together, and after I saw your show...I couldn't ask for Lanturn back. Not after seeing him and his family.", he spoke. Ed sighed, "It would be tough to let him go. I could ask management though.", but Marleon shook his head, "Don't. He's happy here. I can always come visit him." Ed nodded, "Well hey, how about I do something for you then?", he asked.

Ed had Marleon put on a VIP guest list, and gave him a badge that gave him full access to the aquarium. He was even allowed backstage, and Ed led him to the tank where Lanturn and his family were. Marleon was met with the happy fish on the edge of the platform, and he was able to give his old Lanturn a rub on the head as well as meet the family. He sat up, "Thank you, Ed." Ed chuckled, "It's the least I can do. You can visit them any time as long as there isn't a show going on." He escorted Marleon back to the main area, and he left the aquarium, a little happier this morning than he had been the previous day.


	7. Chapter 7 - Fire Spin

-Chapter 7-

 **Fire Spin**

Marleon crossed Lanturn off the list. There was one left to check on. Ampharos, at the Karp Cove Lighthouse. He began on his way to the other side of the island, sneezing a bit from the humidity. The rain had left the path soaked, and with the sun coming out from the clouds, it began to feel muggy. He sneezed again and groaned. He decided to take the path on the south side of the island, with the Beachside Shores to the right of him as he walked. It was the less prettier side of the island considering a few large condominiums had been built there. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea when it was proposed, but he had no say in the matter. There weren't too many of them, at least the public had access to the beach there too. He walked past the arena again. No one there this time, but it was early in the morning so it made sense.

He could have sworn he was being watched. He stopped, looking around a bit. There was no one around him, at least not that he could visibly see. Something didn't feel right though. He took a few more steps, and felt something in his legs. He looked down, and noticed the soaked ground had a sheen to it. "Ice...?", he began to question, and looked around. He lifted his foot and felt the ground have a bit of a crunch to it. "But it didn't snow...wait...", Marleon looked skyward. He almost didn't see Articuno up there, circling the island. The bird's blue feathers blended in perfectly with the sky. In fact, Marleon didn't even notice that the clouds had vanished. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and the only thing that even gave Articuno away was the white plumage on the chest. "So...Articuno is still here. I'm sure Garrett's already gotten word.", he tracked the bird as it continued to circle, and then...it divebombed at something. Marleon began to chase after. Articuno was after something...but what? He nearly slipped on the icy ground, but he moved to the grass. More traction there, and he ran toward the shore where Articuno had swooped.

Marleon stopped at the sight. Articuno was gone, but there were feathers all about. No mistaking it. Blue ones, definitely belonging to the bird. But he was more concerned with the Pokemon he did find there. A Seel, trembling there in the sand. Marleon quickly raced over to inspect the Pokemon. He was weak, and his body was covered in burns. Marleon had a few supplies handy thanks to the Pokestops he had visited. He applied a potion to Seel, and the Pokemon wearily opened his eyes and met them with Marleon's own. "S...seel...", he spoke. "Relax, I'll get you to the Pokemon Center. I'm afraid I don't have any burn heals.", he took one of the Pokeballs he had gotten from the stop. The Seel tensed at the sight of the ball. Marleon noticed that, "Was it a Pokemon trainer that did this? Used you for target practice?", he asked. The Seel was petrified at the sight of the ball. "Sorry, but I don't have a choice here. I've got to get you help.", Marleon quickly pressed the ball to Seel's body, and the Pokemon began to glow a bright red before vanishing before his eyes, absorbed into the ball. It wiggled in Marleon's hand a few times before it settled.

He sighed and stood, but not before something caught his attention in his periphery. He looked and saw Articuno was there, hiding in the tall grass, their eyes met once again. "Thanks...I would have just walked by him if you didn't lead me.", he spoke to Articuno. The bird revealed itself, only for a moment, before taking off once more and heading to the center of the island where the Aqua Rainforest was. Marleon exhaled, and then decided to pick up a few of the feathers that had been left. He was sure Garrett would like to have them, or at least have confirmation that the bird he had been searching for was in fact on the island.

No time to waste now. Marleon was running to Mariner City. He passed a few trainers on the way, who recognized him as the former gym leader, but he didn't have time to stop and talk with them. At least the ice was gone on the road. In fact it was quite dry now, the sun was warming up the island so well that the humidity was not nearly as intense as it had been.

The Pokemon Center was fortunately not too far into town, and Marleon rushed in. "Oh! It's Gyarados!", Nurse Joy smiled, greeting him. Marleon nodded, "Hey, I've got another Pokemon that needs your attention. A Seel that was burned pretty badly.", he replied, putting the Pokeball on the desk. The Nurse nodded and took the ball, "On it! Blissey!", she called. Blissey waddled out and was handed the Pokeball, before rushing into the treatment area. This wasn't an emergency like before, so Marleon was able to come with them as they released Seel onto a medical table. The Pokemon was trembling and the wound looked painful. Blissey handed Nurse Joy a burn heal, and the Nurse began to apply the ointment on Seel. The Pokemon cringed, "It'll sting, just relax, Seel.", the Nurse put a hand on his head to assure him while the treatment was applied. The burn began to shrink, and the Pokemon loosened up, resting on the table. "There we go...you'll be just fine.", she spoke to Seel. Marleon sighed contently, "Don't know what we'd do without you here, Nurse Joy.", he said. She turned and smiled, "Just doing my job. How did this happen though?", she asked.

Marleon shrugged, "I found him like that near the beach. He reacted negatively to the sight of my Pokeball, so...I'm guessing it was a trainer that attacked him with a Fire-type Pokemon.", he said. He didn't mention Articuno. That detail wasn't as important. Nurse Joy's face shifted, "I see. I was afraid of that.", she spoke. "Has this been happening before?", Marleon asked. Joy nodded, "Recently, we've been finding several Pokemon with these severe burns on them. We haven't found the culprit yet, but we have our suspicions.", she crossed her arms, "Someone has been retaliating against the recent shift in power from Team Valor to Team Mystic." Marleon rubbed his head, "That's...that's just terrible. All of this over some dumb funding?", he sighed, "The things people do for money, I swear...I can't believe Team Valor would stoop this low." Joy nodded, "It's a shame, but that's just the way things are around here. The team system has become the most important thing to some people. They want to prove that their team is the strongest, and they'll show no restraint in succeeding. However...", she stared at Marleon, "Don't be quick to assume this was Team Valor. There are Pokemon trainers of all kinds on each team. I've seen trainers with fiery passion in their hearts, who are on Team Mystic. Ones with high intellect who chose Team Instinct. Those with kindness and devotion who chose Team Valor. All three teams welcome their trainers regardless of who they are. They each had their reasons to join the team they chose. Even you, Gyarados.", she nodded, as Seel was given another Potion and was brought to full health. "Seel has recovered just fine. But he will need some time to process what had happened to him. He's very lucky to have you as his trainer."

The Gym Leader nodded back, returning Seel to his ball. It didn't even occur to him that he had captured Seel. He thought about it for a few moments. He had Magikarp, Swablu, and Seel now, each of them had potential with their evolutions. Gyarados, Altaria, and Dewgong. They fit the criteria for his old gym types. His dream of reclaiming his original team was already fading, but he began to consider the idea of creating a new team. He still had one Pokemon left to check on from his original list, and he was already in town, so Marleon went on his way to the southeast corner of the island, where the Karp Cove Lighthouse was located at. It didn't take long to reach it, but he could tell the path to the lighthouse was one that wasn't normally traveled. The path was overgrown, leading up to the lighthouse that was built on a peninsula. As he approached the lighthouse, he noticed a Pelipper fly up to the top of the lighthouse, perching on a window for a few moments. The bird moved a bit, pecking on the window, before it was opened and the bird was let in. After a short time, the bird hopped back up and then out the window, flying back into town. "Huh...", Marleon muttered to himself, before he went to the door and knocked. He looked up at the window, and could see someone look out and down to the door. It took about a minute, but eventually the door was opened, a man with long blonde hair and a goatee met him. "What is it? My lunch just arrived...", he said. Marleon blinked a moment, before realizing the Pelipper was a delivery bird. "I'll be quick then. Does an Ampharos live here?", Marleon asked. The man blinked a few times, "I wondered...", he began to say, "...if her trainer would ever come back to her. Come on in." The door was opened, and Marleon began to enter, but stopped when he didn't realize there was a second set of eyes looking at him. A Ninetales stared at him, growling. "Easy, Sol. He's here for Luna.", the man reached down and rubbed the Ninetales' head. The canine Pokemon settled, but stared at Marleon as he entered. "Luna?", he began to ask. The man nodded, "I gave the Ampharos a nickname when I adopted her.", he closed the door and motioned for Marleon to head up the spiraling staircase. The Ninetales went on up. "I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Marleon Takenawa, the original Gym Leader here on Rain Dance Island before the new system was put in place.", he reached to shake the man's hand, "Ampharos...err...Luna...was a part of my old team." The man shook his hand, "Anthony.", he spoke, "She's up there at the top." Marleon exhaled, and began the climb up the tower.

He went up to the center of the tower, where there was a floor between the ground floor and the lantern room at the very top. Here was place where Anthony spent much of his time. He noticed the man had quite a few sketchbooks on a desk. The living quarters were below on the ground floor. Marleon also noticed that there were light bulbs strewn in the tower, but they weren't operating. "Sir...is your power out?", Marleon asked. Anthony nodded, "Faulty wiring...we've been trying to fix it for about a month, but in the meantime, Luna has been using her light in the lantern room, faithfully all night, keeping her tail bright for hours. Her diligence and devotion to the job has been remarkable." Marleon smiled, "That's exactly how she was when I trained her too. She wanted to be so much like my Dragonite and Gyarados that she learned all she could about Dragon-type Pokemon and their moves. Dragonite taught her a few moves that she quite frankly should not be able to learn." Anthony chuckled, "That explains that...she's been able to create small water spouts just by sheer force. I did not know what she was doing." Marleon smiled, "She learned Dragon Rage from my Gyarados, and surprisingly, she also knows Draco Meteor. Dragonite was very proud of her." Marleon continued up to the top, climbing a ladder to the lamp room where he saw Ampharos looking out the windows. She noticed the movement in the reflection of the glass, and looked back expecting to see Anthony and Sol. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man. She recognized him immediately, turning to face him.

"Long time, no see...huh Ampharos?", Marleon asked. The Pokemon's eyes began to tear up, and she darted toward him, arms wide open. Marleon embraced her, the Electric Pokemon digging her cheek into his and crying happily. Her old trainer rubbed down her back, "Good to see you too."

Marleon and Ampharos went back down to the floor below them, where Anthony and Sol were waiting. "Now I know who she has been watching out for. She spends almost all day up there, watching the horizon for ships.", Anthony spoke. The Gym Leader chuckled, "I came into town the other day, early morning ferry.", he said. "Ahh...about the time she's passed out. She gets her sleep in during the mornings so she's ready for the night shift.", Anthony replied. He rubbed Sol's head, the Ninetales seemed to be staring at a wall, blankly. The ears were moving though. This caught Marleon's attention, and he looked down to the canine. "Sol?", he asked. The Ninetales' ears perked, and he looked in Marleon's direction, but not looking at him directly. The eyes seemed clouded. "Is he...blind?", he asked.

Anthony sighed and nodded, "He lost his vision some time ago. But thankfully, he knows the layout of the building without any trouble. Though...it's why I don't go into town too often. His condition has been getting worse since the power became inoperable. I need to find an electrician who can help me with the repairs, but...I'm afraid that Sol might panic if I am not here.", he explained. Marleon crossed his arms. "I wonder if...Vern's Electric is still in business.", he spoke, "I'll have to see, they were the electrical company I relied on at the Rain Dance Gym." "Wait...if you can find me an electrician, I'd be grateful. I wouldn't have to leave Sol and try to find one on my own in town.", Anthony spoke. The Gym Leader nodded, "I'm more than happy to help! Especially since you've been taking care of Amph...", he began to say, "Sorry...Luna..." Anthony shook his head, "Don't apologize! Call her by the name you know her by. I only picked these names, Sol and Luna, because of my daughter. She loved astronomy...before she decided to set off as a Pokemon trainer." Marleon blinked at this, "Oh? Where is she now?", he asked. Anthony shrugged, "I lost contact with her years ago. She writes home to her mother, but since I have taken this job, I haven't had much communication.", he stood and walked over to the desk, picking up a photo frame. Ampharos was glowing her tail orb to light the dimly lit area. Anthony brought the photo over and held it up to Ampharos' light orb. In the picture were a man and a woman, both blonde headed, as well as a little girl with blonde hair who was holding a Vulpix.

Anthony pointed to the photo. "That's my wife, Heidi...and my daughter, Rose." Marleon looked at the photo, then back to Anthony. "Sir...your last name...it wouldn't happen to be Selene, would it?" Anthony lightly tilted his head, "That's a damn good guess. It is. Anthony Selene." Marleon grinned. "Well...I be damned."

* * *

Sol winced as he stepped out the door. The sun was bright, and it would seem he wasn't used to sensing it. He whimpered and stepped back a bit, but Anthony put his hand on the Ninetales' back. "Don't worry, Sol. I'm right here with you. I'll be here every step of the way.", the man spoke. The canine hesitantly stepped out, with Anthony keeping a hand on him, he relaxed. Marleon stepped out of the lighthouse as well, and turned back. "Come on, Ampharos. We're going to see an old friend of ours.", he spoke. Ampharos waddled out and joined him, and the four of them began to walk the old path into town.

Marleon led the way, with Ampharos, Sol, and Anthony following. He led them to the Team Valor headquarters, and stepped up to the door of the impressive building. Anthony was in awe of the architecture, "I saw the top of this building from a distance. I never knew what it was!", he spoke. Marleon chuckled, "Wait 'til you see the inside.", then turning back to the door, "Though...hopefully they'll let us in."

He buzzed the intercom, and a voice spoke, _"No Instincts allowed! Beat it!"_ Marleon smiled, "Rose has a visitor.", he replied. _"No...Instincts-"_ , the voice on the other line spoke, when Anthony approached, speaking into the comm, "Tell Rose...'The purpose of life is the investigation of the Sun, the Moon, and the Heavens'." A brief moment of silence, and then the door buzzed and slid open. "Go on in.", Marleon said. "Aren't you coming?", Anthony asked. Marleon chuckled, "I guess I'm not allowed here any more...but I think they'll make an exception in a few minutes." Anthony exhaled, "Come on, Sol.", he led his Ninetales in, and the door closed with Marleon and Ampharos outside. He leaned against a wall, Ampharos looking to him in confusion. "Don't worry. We'll be allowed in, just give them a few minutes."

Sure enough, the door opened, and one of the Valor trainers named Kurenai stepped out. "Sir? Rose would like to see you.", she said, the trainer brushing along her purple afro a bit. Marleon looked a little confused considering she had a Gastly buddy who seemed to enjoy mimicking her hair. The trainer turned to Gastly, "Hey, what did I say about scaring the Instincts?", she asked him. Gastly chuckled, "Gastly!", before the trainer escorted them in. Marleon and Ampharos walked in and found Rose, Anthony, and Sol all embracing together. She turned and looked to Marleon, "Gyarados! How in the world did you find him?", she asked at once. The Gym Leader chuckled and crossed his arms, "I'd say something about 'trusting my instincts'...but I'm sure that's getting a little cliché by now. Besides, I went to the lighthouse to see someone else...", he put a hand on Ampharos' shoulder. The Electric Pokemon seemed enthralled by the interior of the Valor headquarters. "Well, I can't thank you enough for bringing my father to me! And Sol! I missed you, boy!", Rose bent down and rubbed the Ninetales' head and back. "How can I repay you?", she asked. Marleon hesitated, "There's...really only one thing I want from you.", he spoke.

Rose's smile faded. "If it's about Dragonite, then...I'm sorry, I can't...", she began to say, but Marleon closed his eyes. "I'm not asking for him back any more. Just please. Let me and Ampharos see him, one last time.", he asked. Rose exhaled, then nodded, "Of course. Right away."

She escorted Marleon and Ampharos to one of the rooms in the back. Anthony and Sol followed of course, since neither of them wanted to leave her side after they just reunited. Rose sighed a little, "Tyranitar might not be thrilled about this, but...well, here goes.", she slid a keycard and the door opened. She stepped in first, so Tyranitar and Dragonite saw her first. The two were relaxing together, taking a break from their sparring. "Tyranitar...Dragonite...we have visitors.", Rose spoke. Marleon stepped in. Dragonite looked him over, then to Rose. Tyranitar seemed confused. "Dragonite, don't you recognize him? It's your trainer...it's Gyarados.", she spoke. Ampharos came in as well, spotting Dragonite and immediately tried to run to greet him, but Marleon stopped her by putting a hand out to block her path. She looked up to Marleon in confusion. "Dragonite...", he spoke. The dragon looked at him again, and then crossed his arms and huffed, turning away. Tyranitar spoke to him in roars, but Dragonite only snorted angrily. Ampharos called out to Dragonite, and Dragonite glared at her and gave a roar.

Rose blinked, "I don't get it. What's going on?", she asked. Marleon sighed. "He thinks I abandoned him.", he said. Rose balled her fist up, " _Dragonite! That's no way to behave!_ ", she scolded the dragon, but he turned his head up and huffed once more. Tyranitar put a hand on his back. Dragonite looked to her, before closing his eyes and exhaling.

"It's okay, Dragonite. I get it.", Marleon spoke. "Huh? But...", Rose began to say. He looked back and saw Marleon with his head down, tears already rolling down his face. "I made you a promise after that day...that I would never let anything bad happen to you again...", he pulled his shirt back, showing the swirling scar on his shoulder. He had a flashback of that day once more...

 _Mewtwo aimed a hand at Marleon, using psychic to hold him in place. Dragonite was recovering, and Marleon hovered, unable to move as a psychic beam charged toward him. He braced himself, but at the last moment, Dragonite jumped in the way, taking the brunt of the burst of energy. Dragonite screamed in pain, but withstood the blast, though parts of it couldn't be blocked and struck Marleon as well. The two of them collapsed, steam rising off of their bodies as their flesh was seared from the attack. "D-dragon-", Marleon tried to speak, his dragon-type Pokemon panting and groaning next to him. He returned Dragonite, but the wounds were so severe that the Pokemon passed out in the ball. Dragonite awoke at the Pokemon Center, and tried to move but he was paralyzed from the neck down. He was still in terrible pain, and Marleon was by his side, holding his hand. The Pokemon gripped hard, Marleon could feel his body trembling in agony. "Dragonite...", he spoke, "This...this was my fault. I put you in danger..." The Pokemon wearily looked into his trainer's eyes. "Never again. I promise. I'll never let anything like this happen to you again."_

"I know now...why you're angry.", Marleon spoke to Dragonite, "We had a dream in mind. I was going to take you to Kalos, and together, along with Ampharos and Lapras and the others...we were all going to show that league that we weren't pushovers. I...", he gripped his hand into a palm, "I have no explanation for my disappearance...but even that is no excuse...for me breaking my promise."

Dragonite relaxed a little. Rose looked to the dragon, smiling softly. "Hey, it couldn't be all that bad, right? You got me and Tyranitar in his place. And you're the strongest Pokemon on this entire island! Believe me, Dragonite. He didn't break his promise. Nothing bad has happened to you at all.", she spoke to him. Dragonite looked back to Tyranitar, who spoke something in their language, and rubbed his back. The Dragon stood and walked over to Marleon, putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to the dragon before him. Dragonite smiled, and then put his other hand out in a fist. Marleon balled up his own fist and bumped it with Dragonite's, and then the two embraced in a hug. Marleon couldn't help but sob into the dragon's gut. Rose chuckled, looking over to Tyranitar, "I hope I never get that emotional around you.", she winked to her Pokemon. Ampharos joined in on the hug with her former trainer and her Pokemon teammate. The three of them embraced for a good long while. 

Anthony was now a full fledged member of Team Valor, and had their resources available now. The team began planning and preparations for repairing the Karp Cove Lighthouse, and they would send a team of expert electricians to help get the lighthouse up and running again. With the funding as well that Team Valor had earned, they were already planning on ordering in the latest technology to optimize the lighthouse. Anthony, Sol, and Ampharos began to make their way back, while Marleon stayed behind. Rose asked him to wait in the lobby, so he reclined in one of the chairs, resting his eyes for a while.

"Okay Gyarados, they're ready for you.", the receptionist spoke nearby, "Room #146, down that hall and on your right." Marleon sat up and walked down the hall, the door already open when he arrived to the room. Rose was waiting there, leaning against a wall. There was a chair in the center of the room, and a large monitor. She didn't say a word, only motioned for him to sit. He did so, having no idea what to expect. The door closed behind them, and then the words "Connecting..." showed up on the monitor. Suddenly, a live feed appeared. A familiar dark-skinned woman, sitting in a chair with a Flareon in her lap appeared on the screen. "Looks like we're live. Hello there. You must be Marleon.", she spoke.

Marleon nodded, "I remember you. Candela, right? Team Valor's leader?", he asked. Flareon yawned in her lap, as Candela smiled, "That's right. So, I've been hearing nothing but good things about you. Rose just filled me in about what just happened. Amazing!", she smiled, "It's a shame you didn't join up with us! You would have been an excellent Valor." Marleon leaned back a bit, "I take it you're not to happy with me being here, I mean...since I went with Instinct.", but he was surprised that Candela nonchalantly waved a hand, "Nah, no hard feelings. Spark's a good guy, even if he's...well, a bit of a knucklehead, ha ha!", she laughed, "But no, as far as I'm concerned, for helping Rose find her father, you're an honorary Valor in my book. I'll let Rose's division know that you're welcome to come in and train with us whenever you'd like. And Rose?", she looked back to where Rose was at. The Island's Valor Leader nodded and stepped forward, "Gyarados, this is for you.", she said, and offered him a Pokeball. "Huh? What is it?", he asked. Rose chuckled, "Open her up and find out!"

He pressed the button on the ball and a red aura emerged, releasing a Pokemon who looked around a bit before staring up at him. An Eevee! Marleon smiled, "Wow...I...I don't know what to say!", he spoke, leaning down and letting the Eevee sniff his hand. She gave his palm a lick, and he in turn rubbed her head. Candela laughed, "You made a conscious decision to help us, so we'd like to help you right back. She's a high level and will be an excellent addition to your team. And when you're ready, she's ready to evolve too." Marleon sat up at that, "Oh geez...I wouldn't know what to pick. There are...what...eight or nine evolutions of Eevee now?", he asked. Candela nodded. "Eight. You've got Fire, Water, Electric, Dark, Psychic, Grass, Ice, and Fairy to pick from. No matter what you decide, you'll have a strong Pokemon by your side." Rose added, "There's a place in town that specializes in Eevee evolutions, too. _Eevolution Solution_. Here...", she handed Marleon one more thing – a brochure and a voucher for one free evolution. It had the directions as well as information about each Pokemon that Eevee could evolve into.

He looked down to Eevee, who was smiling up to him. Then back to Rose, nodding to her, and to Candela. "Thank you. Both of you. This is wonderful.", Marleon said. Candela gave a thumbs up, "Well, I've got some work to do. You two take care now. And remember...", she and Rose spoke the Team Valor slogan in unison, _"In the darkest night, we are the flame!"_ The monitor disconnected, and Marleon stood, returning Eevee. Rose escorted him back to the lobby, but not before making sure he had a clearance badge to enter into the Team Valor headquarters.


	8. Chapter 8 - Dream Eater

-Chapter 8-

 **Dream Eater**

Marleon spun a nearby Pokestop, receiving a few more items. He sat at a park close to the Team Valor headquarters, letting his Pokemon all come out and meet one another. He had a few new additions after all. Magikarp and Seel were both released into a fountain designed for water Pokemon to swim in, while Swablu and Eevee sat on the edge of the fountain and spoke with one another in their native tongues. He leaned back on the bench and exhaled, quite happy that his Pokemon were all getting along well. He was going to have to find Pokemon to train them against, and the way it was looking, most of the trainers around here were already exceptionally skilled and had Pokemon far too powerful for him to even stand a chance against. Then again...it might not be an issue now that he had access to the Team Valor building. He could definitely train the Pokemon there, and let them get stronger.

Something caught his attention though. He looked skyward, and noticed an aurora forming above the island. Several trainers had stopped and observed it. Auroras were unnatural occurrences where the island chain was located geographically, so the sudden appearance of one could only mean one thing – a legendary Pokemon had arrived nearby. The aurora seemed to be hovering just above the center of the island, directly above the Aqua Rainforest. Marleon looked over to the Pokemon, "Come on, guys. I want to go check that out.", he spoke to them, taking the balls and returning the four Pokemon to them. He took off, heading on the path that led directly into the rainforest. The Aqua Rainforest was the place to go looking for water-type Pokemon who could walk on land, as well as ice and dragon types. However, the rainforest was a dangerous place, and caution signs were posted on the perimeter warning trainers that powerful Pokemon lived there and should be approached only by the strongest of trainers. Marleon was taking a risk going in with the Pokemon he had, but something was drawing him into the forest. He felt like he was being called.

He saw some other trainers going in as well. "Come on, Bulbasaur!", he saw a female trainer call. "Wait, Chandos! Are you sure you want to go in there? The signs say-", a Mystic trainer asked her, but the fellow Mystic turned and smiled, "We're not scared at all! Right Bulbasaur?" The grass Pokemon nodded, "Bulba!", and the woman brushed her curly dark brown hair back with a hand. She went in, the other trainer right behind. Marleon shook his head, the trainers were eager to find glory it seemed. Or to find danger. He released Swablu, who perched on his shoulder and yawned. "Swablu, I'm going to need your eyes when we go in. You've got the sharpest vision of all of us, so the moment you spot anything at all, let me know.", he spoke to her. The cloud bird chirped back in acknowledgment, and the two of them entered into the Aqua Rainforest.

The bustle of the cities and towns outside the rainforest deemed to vanish once they were in. They followed the path until it branched, and then began down one pathway. They had lost the other trainers who went in first, Marleon and Swablu were alone save for the wild Pokemon they saw. Swablu gave a nudge to Marleon's neck when she saw a whole family of Poliwag and Poliwhirl. He kept moving, noticing a Mudkip or two run by. There were several Shellos on the trees, and Lotad scurried across the path a few times. There were Pokemon of other types here too, including Deerling and Stantler who had gotten used to the wet conditions. Marleon stopped momentarily when he saw a Dratini sleeping on a branch. Swablu chirped again, and Marleon put a finger to his lips to instruct her to keep quiet. He took out the Pokeballs he had, and aimed...throwing the first one at the Dratini. It missed and whirred over the dragon's head, rustling the bushes in the distance. Marleon blinked a few times, before trying again, throwing another. It hit the tree trunk, and the Dratini woke up and yawned, looking around groggily. "Damn...is my aim really this bad?", he asked himself, throwing another Pokeball. It connected with Dratini, the Pokemon getting sucked in and the ball dropping to the ground. It wiggled, and wiggled...and then shattered, the Dratini escaped! Marleon huffed, and took another Pokeball, "Alright, you're mine this time!", he announced, staring eye to eye with Dratini. He threw the Pokeball, and the Dratini smacked it away with its tail, the ball went flying into the forest and was lost. Marleon grumbled, and went to get another ball...only feeling potions in his bag. "Wait, am I-?", he questioned, looking in the bag. He was out of Pokeballs! The Dratini hurriedly escaped while he wasn't looking, vanishing into the forest. Marleon grimaced. He should have spun more Pokestops when he had the chance.

Disappointed, he kept on walking. He wouldn't add to the team while he was here, since he didn't have any more Pokeballs to use. The canopy of the rainforest rose pretty far above, but he could tell that the aurora was getting brighter. They must be getting closer to the destination. He questioned who could be creating it, concluding that it had to be one of the Ice-types. Articuno was definitely in the area, but he thought it was uncommon for the bird Pokemon to announce its presence like that. It could be Regice, but he never remembered seeing the titan Pokemon on the island before. He had an idea though, and his suspicion was confirmed once Swablu gave a chirp and pointed toward the lake in the center of the rainforest. Marleon peeked through the trees, and caught a visual of Suicune standing on the water. The Legendary Dog had already seen him, Suicune's vision was unmatched. Luckily, Marleon trusted the dog not to run, as they had a long history together. He stepped out of the trees and went toward the water. Suicune stood there, eyes locked on him. "It's been a long time, Suicune. Hope you've been doing well.", Marleon spoke. The dog didn't budge, the white ribbons on either side fluttering forward as it continued to glare at him. "You're here for a reason, aren't you?", Marleon asked. Suicune lifted it's head a little, then took a few steps forward before letting the ribbons dip into the water. The lake glistened before them, Swablu stared speechlessly. Marleon had seen Suicune purify the water before. He wasn't sure what had contaminated it, but the Guardian of the Water had special powers of restoration and healing of the ecosystem. Marleon took a deep breath, and then attempted to step into the water. His foot didn't sink in the water, floating on the surface much like Suicune's paws were. He took a few more steps, and was walking on the lake.

Suicune wasn't one to smile, only giving that dour look as it watched him approach. When Marleon was close enough to the legend, he reached his hand out to touch the dog's muzzle. But something happened that caused Suicune to react. Marleon felt it, a sharp pain stabbing into his fingers upon contact with Suicune, and there was a little flash of purple when the contact happened, much like a static discharge. Suicune winced and hopped back, keeping its distance from the trainer. "Wha-?", Marleon questioned, looking at his hand. His index finger was throbbing. He looked up to Suicune, but the Pokemon wasn't looking at him, but rather looking at the water. "Suicune, I don't-", he began to say, when he looked down at his feet, gasping at once at the sight. Something was sinking from the bottom of his shoes, slowly making the water below him a murky shade of purple. The edge of the lake was becoming opaque, swirling shades of purple from the edge up to where Marleon was standing. Suicune was shivering, glaring at him, eyes twitching.

 _"Unclean..."_ , he actually heard Suicune speak! _"Unclean!"_ "Wait, Suic-!", Marleon tried to say, but in that moment, he sunk into the lake, head dunking beneath the water as he lost the ability to walk on water. Swablu was writhing in the water, and Marleon grabbed her and swam to the surface. He coughed up some water, he had just taken a breath when he and Swablu went under. He swam back over to the shore, carrying Swablu out, the two of them dripping and drenched. He was completely confused. Did he really hear Suicune speak to him? He knew Psychic Pokemon would have capabilities like that, but Suicune was a water-type. He lost that train of thought when he looked back at the lake, now shivering in shock when he saw the water had become polluted. "S-swablu...did I...?", Marleon stared in disbelief, "But how...how could I have...?", he inspected his whole body. The clothes were drenched, but they were new, a fresh set from his room at the Team Instinct headquarters. He took a step back, "We...we need to go.", he returned Swablu and began to run. He saw the first guide arrow out of the rainforest, and followed the path, finally making it out. He looked back, noticing the trees had started to turn a strange shade of dark violet. "No...", Marleon gasped. The discoloration was spreading, and Marleon nearly stumbled backwards as he saw it continue to chase after him.

As he ran, he saw trees, bushes, and the grass nearby begin to discolor, slowly wilting and rotting. He ran into town, and was surprised to see no one around. All the lights were glowing an eerie purple shade, and he looked back to see the strange wave of decay continue to follow him. It was now covering whole buildings and the streets, and he watched the foundations crumble and buildings start to cave in. It almost looked like a purple ooze now, seeping along, covering everything in its path. He continued to run down a street, but the wave was now surrounding him, coming from almost every direction. His only escape was a grocery store, where he ran in. No one there, but he watched as the once fresh produce began to wilt and decay right before his eyes. He backed into a corner, watching as the building began to crumble around him. The walls beginning to appear blotchy with the purple discoloration. It was closing in on him. Marleon began to scream for help. He shut his eyes and cringed.

And then everything slowed to a stop. He was in the last corner the purple ooze hadn't claimed. He opened his eyes. Everything was still. And then he noticed someone approaching him. An elderly woman, walking his way, just walking right on the ooze as if it was nothing but a regular hard floor. Marleon was trembling in fear, glaring at her, shaking visibly. The woman gave him a smile and leaned over, putting a hand on his shoulder. Marleon gasped and stared into her eyes.

"It's just a bad dream.", she spoke, "Let me eat it for you." Marleon blinked. "Wha-?", and then he cringed and felt a sharp pain in his brain. "Gyaaahhh!", he cried out, but he opened his eyes again, and the elderly woman had changed into a Haunter.

"Sir! Are you okay?", someone asked. Marleon jumped, looking around. The grocery store was completely normal, and there were people all around looking at him in concern. The Haunter smiled. "Haunter Haunter!", she spoke. Marleon noticed the Ghost-type Pokemon's hand was on his shoulder. He exhaled. "Did you...use Dream Eater on me?", he asked. Haunter laughed and gave a nod. "Haunter!", she replied. Marleon exhaled and leaned back. It would take him a little while to recover from the dream. It was so vivid though. He finally stood and assured everyone he was okay, looking outside. Everything was normal, there was no discoloration or rot in sight. "Haunter! There you are!", a trainer said, wearing a Team Instinct shirt. Haunter turned and smiled at Harley, her trainer. Harley chuckled, "I turned away for just a few seconds to pick out a few ripe tomatoes and you were gone!", she said. Haunter rubbed her head bashfully and the two walked away as if nothing had happened. Some of the spectators made sure Marleon was okay before they went on their way. While he was there, he decided to buy a few boxes of Pokepuffs and some bird seed. He had some friends to thank, and once he stepped back outside, confirming everything had gone back to normal, he went on his way.

As he walked, he noticed a flashy store with a lot of neon coloring. There were several posters with silhouettes of various Eevee evolutions. There was a big crowd around the place. Marleon noticed the sign - Eevolution Solution. "Oh! This is the Eevee place that Rose was telling me about!", he said. He took Eevee's Pokeball and released her. The fluffy Pokemon shook a bit and looked around. "Hey look, Eevee, this is the evolution place. What do you say? Are you ready to evolve yet?", he asked. Eevee hesitantly looked up at the sign, and then all the neon posters with the different evolutions. She tilted her head, "Vee?", she spoke. Marleon looked at the brochure again, going over all the options. He had a Vaporeon a long time ago, and of course was partial to them, but since he was on Team Instinct, maybe a Jolteon would be a great choice. Though, he could give a Sylveon a try. He didn't know much about Fairy-type Pokemon but he remembered overhearing someone say they were strong. Or maybe...an Espeon or an Umbreon after the situation he was in. Maybe one of them could help prevent illusions like he had experienced.

As he pondered, he overheard some trainers in an argument. "I didn't want a Flareon!", an Instinct trainer was shouting at his shivering Flareon, who was stepping back in shock, "I wanted an Espeon! Why did you become a Flareon?!" Another Instinct shouted at the fellow trainer, "Hey leave him alone!" "Stay out of this, Dorota! Unless...you had something to do with my Eevee making a stupid decision to be a Flareon!" Dorota put her arms to her sides, "Don't be cruel to him! He's going to be just fine as a Flareon!"

There was a Valor trainer screaming at a poor Sylveon who was trembling in fear, who wanted her Eevee to evolve into an Umbreon. Marleon then saw a Mystic trainer groaning, with a Leafeon tagging along, looking confused up to her trainer. Did she choose wrong as well? A Valor trainer named Jesenia and her Sandshrew noticed the angry trainers around. "My word! What is wrong with them, Sandshrew?", she asked. Marleon was just as baffled. He looked back down to Eevee, who was cowering behind his leg now. "Hey, hey!", he bent down and rubbed her head, "I don't know who these trainers are, but they obviously don't know what sort of decision this is. Whatever you decide, you're going to be that species for the rest of your life...", Marleon assured the Eevee, and looked back at the brochure. He realized he had been thinking selfishly himself right before he saw the other trainers and how abusive they were toward their Eevee evolutions. He pulled the voucher out of the brochure for one free evolution, and then balled up the brochure and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. Eevee looked up to him in confusion, and he rubbed her head, "Listen, Eevee. This is your decision and yours alone. If you're not ready to evolve, or even if you don't want to evolve at all, I won't pressure you into it. And...you know, whatever you decide to evolve into, I'll be supportive of you. I want you to be happy with who you are, and I will be proud of you no matter what you choose."

He handed the voucher down to her. She looked at it, and then took the voucher in her mouth and walked up to the door of the Eevolution Solution store. Marleon followed behind her, the doors sliding open automatically as the two of them entered. The music was upbeat, and there were screens all over with trendy Eevee evolutions posing and showing off their attacks. Marleon's Eevee looked at each of them, her eyes twinkling in excitement. A worker in a stylish shirt showing an Eevee jumping into a prism and eight evolutions jumping out asked, "Hello sir, are you ready to evolve your Eevee? We have several options...", she asked him. Marleon chuckled and pointed down to the Eevee with the voucher, "We have a voucher from Rose of Team Valor. And...well, I'm letting my Eevee choose what she'd like to evolve into.", he explained. The worker nodded, taking the voucher out of Eevee's mouth, "Very good! Right this way, Eevee. We'll help you decide on the perfect evolution!", she spoke, and Eevee looked back at her trainer. Marleon gave her a thunbs up, and the Eevee smiled and followed the worker into a side room where the door closed behind the two of them. Marleon found a chair and sat, leaning back. He understood now what had been happening. The trainers didn't accompany their Eevee when the decision was made, so the Eevees chose on their own accord what they wanted to become. It made sense why there were a few angry trainers outside the place. Marleon closed his eyes, yawning a little. "Sir? She's ready for you. I think you'll be thrilled with her choice.", the worker spoke. Marleon opened his eyes and sat up, and looked do the room where Eevee had gone in.

A Glaceon was looking back at him, stepping out of the room. She walked back to Marleon, who stood out of the chair. "Oh...you're beautiful...", he said to her. The Glaceon flashed a smile and did a little circle walk, showing herself off. Marleon knelt and reached to give her a rub. She was surprisingly cold to the touch, but he couldn't have been happier with her decision. "You know...my old gym featured ice type Pokemon. Well...I didn't have enough of them, but I'd love to learn more about them. You're going to be a fantastic addition to the team.", he said. Glaceon leaned into his rubs and smiled happily. The worker nodded, "You two are definitely quite the team! We thank you for using Eevolution Solution as your solution to your Eevee Evolutions!"

Marleon and Glaceon decided to head back to the Rain Dance Gym after the evolution occurred. The ice type walked proudly in her new form, and Marleon couldn't help but smile at her newfound pride. The two of them were putting those other trainers to shame. He did wonder what Glaceon's reason was for choosing the evolution she did. He didn't remember seeing too many of them walking about with their trainers at the Eevolution Solution store. In any case, as far as he was concerned, she couldn't have picked a better evolution to become.

Nothing had really changed at the gym, at least not that he remembered. It was a strange feeling stepping back in the place, especially after what he had found the first day he was there. At least the power was working now. The Rattata, Pidgey, and Murkrow all seemed to be enjoying the sanctuary, and they perked up when they heard the door open and the two enter in. "Hey there.", Marleon said to them. Glaceon seemed confused at the sight, looking around at the run-down arena. Marleon was relieved that it hadn't been vandalized. He probably had Chris Daté to thank for keeping the building safe, as well as Drago. She must have scared off any would-be vandals and thieves. He looked down to Glaceon and chuckled, "I know, it's a little dated here, probably not the same as what you're used to at Team Valor, but we'll get it cleaned up. Besides, we have friends here.", he looked back to the birds and rodents who were eyeing them. Marleon went back to where his living quarters were and found a few plastic bowls in the cabinets. He went back out to the arena and began to fill the bowls with the food he had bought from the grocery store. Poke-puffs in a few bowls, and bird seed in the others. "Rattatata?", the rodents sniffed and wiggled their whiskers. The Pidgey were watching from the rafters above, the Murkrow were already starting to fly down and hopped closer. The former Gym Leader chuckled, "Well, no sense hiding it. This is for all of you to enjoy, as my way of saying 'thank you' for taking care of my Gyarados.", he said, sliding the bowls out. The Murkrow were the first to chase after the bowls, not having a preference between the ones with seed and the others with the puffs. They greedily scarfed down the meal. The Rattata went over to the bowls with the Poke-puffs, each taking a handful of the puffs and standing there on their hind legs, nibbling on them. Marleon chuckled as he saw a few of them grab some of the food and stuff them into their cheek pouches before running off. The Pidgey were the last to descend on the food, though only wanting the bird seed. They seemed to bicker among each other though, but would peck at the seed, making a good mess. There was plenty to share, and Marleon refilled the bowls before he let his own Pokemon out to enjoy a meal. There wasn't much water in the pool, so Magikarp flopped and complained. He had to hand-feed the fish. Seel, Glaceon, and Swablu ate their fill of the puffs. He realized after the fact that he didn't buy anything for himself to eat. He was almost terrified to consider what had been left in his refrigerator after six years, especially considering the power had been off.

"Everyone good for now? I need to head back out and get a little dinner for myself.", he said. His own team seemed to be satisfied, Magikarp had settled down, Glaceon gave a little burp. Seel and Swablu both didn't need much. He saw several Rattata stuffed and lazing contently, rubbing their countershaded bellies happily. The Pidgey and Murkrow had flown back up to their respective places, bundling up together, starting to drift to sleep. Marleon stood, looking at his team once more. He went ahead and returned Magikarp, knowing the fish wouldn't want to spend any more time flopping around. Seel and Glaceon seemed to be enjoying each other's company, so he looked to Swablu, "Hey Swablu, mind tagging along with me?" The bird blinked a little but flew up and perched on his shoulder. He didn't want to go back out alone. "We'll be back, keep an eye on the place for me, alright?", he asked Seel and Glaceon. The two were agreeable, and Marleon turned and went back out to town with Swablu.

The daylight was slowly fading, but it was still bright enough for the town to be well lit. The two of them walked about, looking at some of the different restaurants on the main street. He eventually decided on a soup bar, he had been craving some pho and he stepped in to see a lively restaurant, with several customers conversing with one another. "Come on in!", the staff said when Marleon walked in. He noticed the Team Valor décor, and it reminded him about what had happened in Hydrofoil Town before. But he did spot a few trainers wearing blue or yellow. "Table or booth?", a waitress asked him. "Oh umm…booth would be fine.", Marleon said. He really didn't have a preference. She nodded, "Right this way!", and led him to a booth where he sat and looked over the menu. Marleon ordered a big bowl of pho, and while he waited, he noticed the televisions that had the local news on. The sound wasn't on, but he could tell they were talking about Rose and her father, Anthony. A picture of them together, alongside Marleon and some of their Pokemon at the Team Valor headquarters popped up, and when he realized he was in the photo, he looked around and noticed a few of the trainers were looking his way. He lowered his Team Instinct cap a bit over his head. He didn't intend to cause a commotion, as he waited for his soup to arrive. Of course, in his periphery, he saw a few trainers stand and approach him. "Hey you're the guy that was on TV, right?", a Valor trainer asked him. Marleon looked up and met eye-to-eye with the trainer. "Yeah, I…", he began to say, when another trainer approached and put his hand out. Marleon reached over and shook hands. The trainer laughed, "We can't thank you enough for what you did for Rose!"

Marleon felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He was expecting more hostility since he was still wearing his Team Instinct outfit, but he simply smiled and said, "It's really fine, I just did what anyone else would do when they realized her father was here." "Hey everyone! Gyarados is here! Let's give him a round of applause for what he did for Rose!", another trainer called, and the place erupted in cheers. Marleon leaned back and grinned. He was really starting to like these Team Valor trainers. "Oh wow! Your Swablu is close to evolving!", one of the Valors at the restaurant said. Marleon blinked a bit, "Oh? How can you tell?", he asked her. The trainer showed her Pokedex, which could analyze the Pokemon and show their level, attacks, and other information. "Just needs one more candy to evolve! I don't have any Swablu candy, but here…", she sat a rainbow-colored candy on the table, "I was saving this Rare Candy for my Shinx, but I think you could use it now. Swablu take a lot of candy to evolve.", she explained. Marleon didn't know that evolution could be achieved with a system like that. He was more used to having to battle for leveling. Team Mystic must have taken good care of Swablu and trained her well for her to be so close to evolving. "What do you say, Swablu? Want to become an Altaria tonight?", he asked the Pokemon. The crowd watched eagerly, and she looked back at her trainer, "No pressure if you don't—", but in that moment, he watched her swallow down the Rare Candy, and then began to glow brightly. She grew from a small bird into a large bird-like dragon before their eyes. Marleon realized too late that he should have gotten out of the booth before she evolved, as she was now awkwardly wedged between the seats and the table, and her cloud-covered wing had pinned him against the wall. "Oof!", he grunted, and Altaria looked about in confusion. The patrons laughed at the scene, offering to help move the table so the dragon could slip out. It was about this time that Marleon's pho had arrived, and once Altaria had been freed, he joined in the laughing and finally enjoyed his soup.

Altaria now provided a good means for Marleon to travel around the island since she was a large dragon and could carry him in flight. He considered going back to Hydrofoil Town, but since the rest of his Pokemon team were at the Rain Dance Gym, he hopped on Altaria's back and she took off. The bird was shaky at first, but once she adjusted to the new, larger body, she had no problem flying Marleon back to the gym. Seel and Glaceon were both in shock to see that Swablu had evolved, and Marleon was starting to see a new, powerful gym team forming right before his eyes.

He awoke to loud banging on the doors of the Rain Dance Gym. The Pokemon were all wide awake, and Marleon stumbled out of bed and went to the door. The banging was getting louder, obviously someone knocking loudly. "Alright, alright, I'm coming...", Marleon groggily called. He opened the door, and was surprised to be met by several trainers there. The man doing the knocking grinned.

"So the rumors were true! You finally show back up here, after abandoning us years ago, and we're just supposed to pretend that everything's all peachy! You have a lotta nerve, you know!", the man, dressed in an outfit that proudly displayed the Team Valor logo. The entourage laughed, "You tell 'em, Charstar!", Nichole, a trainer with a Charmander, called out. Marleon rubbed his eyes a little. He had to get a good look before he realized who it was. "Wait...Charstar?", he asked. He was face to face with the Fire, Rock, and Dark-type Gym Leader of Lavatic Island. Charstar crossed his arms, "Well well, at least you remember me!" Marleon blinked a few times, "Of course I remember you, Charstar. How could I forget a fellow Gym Leader. But...what are you doing here?", he asked.

Charstar grinned. "I really came by to drop off a few of my best Pokemon on the gyms around here. I have Pokemon stationed on every island of the Fire Islands League, and I'm here to help maintain Team Valor's dominance. But when I saw you on the news last night, I just had to come see you...", he pulled one of his Pokeballs off of his belt and tossed it in the air briefly, before catching it, "...and of course, to challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"


	9. Chapter 9 - Quick Attack

-Chapter 9-

 **Quick Attack**

Marleon grimaced at the thought. He looked back in the gym for a moment. He had a few strong Pokemon, but he had not battled with them, let alone even gotten used to any of them. He hadn't even given the new gym system a try. He knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against Charstar, at least with the team he had. "Listen, Charstar, I really don't want to-", Marleon began to say, and he heard a few of the Valors laughing and scoffing. "What a wimp!", someone said in the background. "No wonder he picked Team 'Extinct'!", another shouted. Charstar grinned, "So, you're admitting right here, right now, that you don't have what it takes to beat me? And that Team Valor is the superior team?"

The Lavatic Gym Leader awaited his response. Marleon sighed. "If I battle you, will it shut you up?", he asked. Charstar blinked at the response. He grinned, smugly crossing his arms, "Wow, what a response! Alright, let's do this thing! Why don't you invite us all in?", he asked. Marleon shook his head. "I haven't had any time to clean up the gym since I've been back. You know where the Oceanside Arena is, right? Meet me there in about an hour.", the Rain Dance Gym Leader instructed. "Hmph...sounds good.", Charstar agreed, "I'll be looking forward to it. See you there, Gyarados!" Marleon nodded slowly, and then closed the door. He could hear laughing, cheering, and such coming from the other side of the door as the Valors and their champion left. He rubbed his head, looking back at his current team.

"Fine...if he wants a battle...I'll give him a battle.", he spoke to himself.

* * *

A little less than an hour had passed, and Marleon walked along the path to the arena. He could hear a lot of commotion as he approached, and as it turned out, the news spread quickly that there was going to be a battle between two of the former gym leaders of the Fire Islands League. News was literally spreading there as Charstar and his entourage of Valor trainers were accompanied by a Channel 130 Action News crew, complete with a cameraman and a reporter. The small metal stands around the flat battlefield were filled to the brim, two of them full of Team Valors cheering on Charstar. One set of bleachers held a small group of Team Mystic trainers who didn't know who they were going to cheer for yet. The last set of stands was also full, but with Team Instinct trainers ready to cheer on Marleon.

"So you showed up! Good! I was getting worried you'd chicken out!", Charstar boasted when he saw Marleon approach. The Rain Dance leader exhaled, "Was the news crew really necessary, Charstar? You went a little too far this time.", he said. Charstar laughed, "Nah! I want all of Rain Dance Island to see this, and by the way...it's being broadcast on all the islands too. The whole league wants to watch this battle, as I'm expecting you to give me a good fight!", he replied. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with.", Marleon said, starting to walk to one of the ends of the battlefield. The Valors began to boo when he said that. "Heh...you're awfully out of character, Gyarados. Not like you to be so unwilling to battle.", Charstar said with a grin. Marleon stopped, not even looking to his opponent, as he responded, "You don't even know the half of it, Charstar. I lost my entire team. Drago...my Gyarados is dead. Those who adopted my Pokemon are refusing to return them to me. I've had to start all over and I only have a handful of Pokemon to work with."

Charstar blinked. "What...really?", he asked. Marleon looked at him, eye to eye. Charstar exhaled, "So you were serious when you said you weren't ready to battle. Fine, I'll tell everyone to go home then.", he said. Marleon shook his head, and pulled a Pokeball from his belt, "It's already too late. You promised the entire league an epic battle. So let's get this over with.", he said, "Send out your Pokemon. I only brought one with me to battle you with."

The news crew began a live broadcast, announcing the battle. Cheers from the stands as Charstar took his place. He was no longer smiling, as he took a Pokeball off his belt. "Let's go...Typhlosion!", he announced as he threw the ball and sent out the Fire-type Pokemon. The Typhlosion flared his fiery mane and roared loudly. Charstar patiently waited for Marleon to call out his Pokemon. "I hope you chose someone worthy for me to battle, Gyarados!", he called out. Marleon closed his eyes. "Oh...I did. Come on out...Magikarp!"

Marleon's golden Magikarp appeared on the battlefield, and at once began to flop around and complain. Charstar was speechless. The crowd clamored, from boos to laughs. "What the hell, Gyarados?", Charstar shouted. Marleon crossed his arms, "Well? Are you going to battle him or not?", he asked. "Damn you! Why are you doing this? You had nothing else better?", Charstar spat. The Rain Dance Leader smiled, "I have a Glaceon and a Seel, both of which I knew was a mismatch against you, and an Altaria but she decided to take a nap on my bed, so I wasn't going to bring her along. So here you go, Charstar. I trust my Magikarp completely. Now, are you going to attack or not?"

Charstar balled his hand into a fist, but he held back what he was going to say. "Fine then. Have it your way. Typhlosion! Quick Attack!". The news reporter began commentating as Typhlosion went on all fours and then vanished, hitting Magikarp with a powerful kick. The fish was propelled to the other side of the battlefield, and kept flailing wildly. "Magikarp! Splash!", Marleon announced. Magikarp collected a little bit of the dew on the tiles of the field and flailed his tail at Typhlosion. It did nothing but produce a few small droplets of water that fizzled on contact with the fire type. "Typhlosion! Inferno!", Charstar called. The Pokemon flared his fire, aimed at Magikarp, and unleashed a devastating fire attack...but it missed the fish and nearly hit the section of stands with the Team Mystic trainers. Their buddy Pokemon hopped in the way to protect their trainers, but luckily, the flames hit nearby. "Whoa!", the newscaster gasped. One of the Mystic trainers, Alex, was pulling her Gengar back, who was just about ready to storm onto the battlefield in anger from the close call. "Gengar, wait!", she cried, finally returning her Gengar before he interfered with the fight. Charstar huffed, then shouted at Typhlosion, "Hey! Watch where you're aiming!" He was now regretting televising the battle. It almost came off like he was trying to target the Mystic trainers. "Magikarp...Splash again!", Marleon called.

Magikarp flailed and did little. Charstar was angry, and pointed at Magikarp, "Typhlosion! Hit that stupid fish with a Double-Edge! Finish him off!" Typhlosion charged up, his paws glowing a bright light, as he surged at Magikarp and landed the blow. Connecting it, the attack dealt a massive amount of damage, while simultaneously hurting Typhlosion. "This is it! Magikarp is done for!", the newscaster announced.

But Magikarp didn't go flying off into the distance, and didn't faint. What happened next astounded everyone watching, both presently there and watching the live broadcast. The Magikarp began to glow just as bright, even brighter actually, and began to change shape. "What is this?", Charstar questioned. Marleon smiled, "I think...you picked on him one too many times.", he responded.

The Typhlosion was now pinned down underneath the large, scaled body of a Red Gyarados! The sea serpent glared down at the fire type and let out an intimidating roar. The Team Instinct crowd stood and rallied with cheers. The Mystic group was still stunned from the fire blast, and the Valors only watched in silence, completely speechless at the turn of events. Marleon checked his Pokedex, and then grinned, before pointing at Typhlosion, "Alright Gyarados! Let's go with a Dragon Rage!", he announced. The Pokemon complied, and began to create a vortex, encasing Typhlosion in it and sending him skyward. The Fire Pokemon landed with a thud afterward, dazed. "Typhlosion! Flamethrower!", Charstar called, but Typhlosion was dizzy and stumbling. "Now's our chance, Gyarados! Hydro Pump!", Marleon called. "What?!", Charstar shouted, as the Gyarados built up a torrent of water in his maw, and unleashed it on Typhlosion. The Fire-type was propelled out of the arena and hit the grass nearby with a thud, laying there motionless, fainted. "That's impossible! That Gyarados shouldn't be able to know Hydro Pump already!", Charstar complained, but Marleon grinned and showed his Pokedex, "I didn't know he did either, but he is a much higher level than I realized. All the hate he received from the trainers here...he just took it all in, and slowly grew more and more powerful. You just were the spark that set him off."

"What a battle! There you have it! Marleon Takenawa of Team Instinct just defeated Charstar of Team Valor!", the reporter announced. Charstar watched speechlessly as the Valor crowd began to disperse, while the Team Instinct crowd ran onto the field to congratulate Marleon and his new Gyarados. "No shelter from the storm!", they kept calling happily, "Instinct! Instinct!"

Charstar returned Typhlosion, and approached Marleon. The Instinct crowd settled down. "How?", Charstar asked, "How could you have possibly known that you'd defeat me with...with a _Magikarp?!"_ Marleon hesitated, looking up to the Red Gyarados. He chuckled a little, and gave his new Pokemon a pat on the side, then turned to Charstar. "I trusted my instincts." The trainers in yellow laughed and celebrated some more. The cameras were rolling, still broadcasting the victory for Team Instinct. Charstar, surprisingly, began to chuckle. Then he burst out laughing. "Damn...damn good battle, Gyarados! Both Gyaradoses! I wouldn't have expected any less of you!" Charstar extended a hand. Marleon approached and shook his hand. "You trusted your instincts, huh? Damn it. Of course you'd have to say that cliché line.", Charstar whispered. Marleon shamefully laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "My bad."

Once Charstar had left and the Instinct crowd finally dispersed, Marleon looked up to his Gyarados. He could tell the Pokemon was pretty badly shaken up. "Come on, Red, let's go to the Team Instinct headquarters and get you healed up. I uhh...I hope you don't mind me calling you 'Red'.", he asked. The Gyarados nodded in agreement to the name, and Marleon returned him, exhaling. He took a chance on bringing Magikarp. He actually fully expected to be defeated and humiliated at the arena, but it would seem he got very lucky.

He stepped into the facility and turned to the Pokemon Center. After Red was revitalized, he went down the hallway and swiped his card across the scanner. The doors slid open and Marleon was greeted with cheers when the Team Instinct trainers saw him walk in. "Marleon! You beat the snot outta Charstar! That was amazing!", trainers left and right were applauding him for the battle. He chuckled softly, "It was nothing, really. Hey, let me catch up with V, I need to talk with her.", Marleon said. The trainers nodded, one of them said, "She's in a conference call, but we can let her know you're here." "Thanks, I'm gonna go relax in my quarters for a little while.", Marleon said, heading down the hall. He had to shake a few hands and give a few fist bumps to the celebratory trainers. He didn't realize how big of a deal it was to show Team Instinct's strength.

As he passed one of the rooms, he stopped and listened in. He heard V's voice...and Rose's as well. Marleon couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation, as Rose had called V after the broadcast. "I told you countless times already, and I hate repeating myself, Vicky! You don't touch our gyms in Mariner City! They are absolutely off limits!", Rose huffed. V was calmer, but Marleon could hear her becoming increasingly annoyed, "Well sooner or later they're going to change hands. If not by us, then I'm sure you'll have to deal with Team Mystic. Besides, Garrett has been greedy on this side of the island. We only have three gyms for Instinct!", she replied. Rose crossed her arms, "We had an agreement! You don't attack our gyms, and we leave yours alone!", Rose said. V scoffed, "And _you've_ repeatedly broken that agreement! We lost five gyms to Valor today alone!" Rose leaned into the camera, "I can't stop Charstar when he comes here! What he wants, he takes!" V sighed, crossing her arms, "...Well, he got put in his place today. In any event, you're going to have to realize that the world doesn't revolve around Team Valor. There are good trainers here that I am working with, and they deserve much more than what they are receiving. I won't stand idly by and let you or Team Mystic continue to walk all over us." "Yeah? Well let me tell you a thing or two-", Rose began to say, but V put her finger on the keyboard before her, and said, "This conversation is over. We're done here." "Wait! Don't you dare hang up on-", the last words Rose got out before the screen went blank. V turned and stepped out into the hall, surprised to see Marleon there. "Oh! You're here!", she said, smiling to him, "So...you sure stirred up a Beedrill nest this morning." Marleon shrugged, "I didn't exactly intend to have to battle my old friend, but it worked out alright."

"Well, you made us proud today. So much so that news has already made it to the big boss. He wants you to give him a call when you get a moment.", V said. Marleon blinked, "Huh...I'm not sure I've ever met him. Who is he?", he asked. V tilted her head, "You...don't remember him from the recruitment video? Spark?", she asked. Marleon thought back to the short video he watched at the Pokemon Center in Mariner City. There was...Blanche, from Team Mystic, and he remembered Candela really well only because of his call with her yesterday. "Oh right. He's the one that coined the whole 'trust your instincts' thing, right?", Marleon asked. He remembered Spark there, the guy with the spiky blonde hair. Funny...he reminded Marleon a lot of Mike Thunderbird.

V nodded, "You shouldn't keep him waiting. It was important from what I heard.", she said, and Marleon motioned to the room she had just left, "Can I use this room to call him, then?", he asked. V chuckled, "Actually...he asked me to make the call in the great room, so all the Instincts could listen in." The Gym Leader blinked, "Oh! Well, I suppose that'll work."

The two of them went back into the great room, where the crowd had already gathered around. The place was more lively than he remembered, a lot of friendly faces chatting with one another. Marleon hadn't ever seen the Team Instinct trainers so uplifted. It was a refreshing sight. "Alright everyone, settle down! We're putting in the call to Spark now!", V announced, and turned to Marleon, Stand over here so he can see you. Oh and...why don't we have your Gyarados present too?" The Gym Leader walked over and stood where she instructed, and then released Red. The Red Gyarados yawned and looked around in confusion. Marleon gave his belly a pat, "Don't worry, Red. They all wanted to congratulate you on the win today.", he assured the big water Pokemon. Red blinked, and settled, getting himself comfortable on the polished tile floor. When everyone was in place, V put in the call. There was a large monitor in the great hall, Marleon and Red stood front and center before it.

The screen flickered, and then connected, showing a room with a large, comfortable-looking chair. Sitting in the chair was a Pikachu. "Pika!", the mouse waved to all the Instincts. They giggled and waved back. "Hey, move over!", they heard someone say, and then the Pikachu hopped down and Spark sat in its place. "Hey! How're we all doing over there on Rain Dance Island?", the man asked with a big grin on his face. The Instincts trainers cheered, and the pride could definitely be seen on Spark's face. He then looked down where V, Marleon, and Red were standing, "And you must be the guy! I've been hearing all about your work there! But that battle! Whew! That was incredible!", Spark laughed. Marleon was a little embarrassed from all the attention, giving Red's belly a pat, "Th-thanks...I just...", he stammered, the situation flustered him a little, "I just trusted Magikarp, like I always have. And Red here didn't let me down." Spark grinned wider, "You didn't give up on Magikarp. I've never heard anything more fitting from a member of my team. That's what I've been striving for all along. A team that shows dedication and loyalty. That is what I mean when I say we can never lose when we trust our instincts!", he said, and the trainers all applauded again. He then continued, "Well hey, I've got a surprise for you. I hope you don't mind that I did a little research on your background as a trainer...", and Marleon shook his head, "Not at all." "Good, well, I have a special Pokemon that I'd like to pass on to you. He is fully evolved, and I think he will fit the criteria you're looking for. That is...if you're willing to accept him.", Spark asked. Marleon looked to V, who gave him a nod, and he then looked back up at the monitor, "I'll take him.", he replied.

Spark leaned back, and picked up an Ultra Ball, "Here he comes then! Take good care of him! And congratulations once again! Keep it up!", Spark said and put the ball in a slot next to the chair. He typed in some things on a keyboard, and the Ultra Ball began to glow and flicker before vanishing. There was a similar slot right below the monitor, and before Marleon's eyes, the Ultra Ball appeared. V picked it up and handed it to Marleon. He took the ball and pressed the button to release the Pokemon inside. The ball opened, and a flash of red light came out and materialized into a Flygon. The Dragon looked around, before seeing Marleon with the ball in his hands. Flygon at once ran to him and wrapped his arms around the trainer, embracing him in a hug. "Urkk!", Marleon wasn't expecting the Pokemon to be so affectionate. Spark laughed, "Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that he is a little clingy...", but Marleon smiled and wrapped an arm around Flygon, hugging him back, and then looked up at the monitor, "It's...it's just fine, heh." Spark nodded, "Well, he is a Dragon-type as well as a Ground-type. I saw you had an appreciation for dragons, and I was looking for just the right trainer to give him to."

Spark then looked back to the crowd, "Alright, Team Instinct! We've got some momentum going today! Let's keep it up and show the world who we are!", he gave a salute, and the trainers applauded and lifted their arms up victoriously, calling out, _"No shelter from the storm!"_ The Pikachu hopped into Spark's lap and waved, "Pika pika!", and then the communication was disconnected. Everyone dispersed, going back to what they were working on. Flygon finally let go of Marleon and looked up to Red. The Gyarados looked to his trainer, a little concerned. "We've got an all-star team forming, Red! You and Flygon here, as well as Altaria and Glaceon and Seel! We just need one more to complete the team. But who...?", he asked them, thinking back to his old Pokemon team. He sighed, missing them all once again. "Listen, I have a little bit of business to do here, and then we'll head back over to the Rain Dance Gym and pick up the rest of the team. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see both of you." Red nodded slowly, Flygon tilted his head. Marleon smiled, "Don't worry, Flygon. You'll be great with us."

The two were returned and Marleon went back to the room where Quagsire was being held. He looked in, seeing his old Pokemon still hadn't moved. Still sitting in the place, covered in aggressive vines. The staff on hand looked over to see him come in. "How is he?", Marleon asked. They shook their heads, "Still in pain. At this point we're not sure what else we can do for him. We haven't been able to find any sort of cure for the Leech Seed.", they said. Marleon approached, and one of the staff said, "Be careful, it'll burn on contact.", but Marleon reached into his pocket and took a wrapped Poke-puff, unwrapping it. The staff watched as he put a hand on Quagsire's head, and another right on his throat, and lifting his head up, he pushed the puff into the Pokemon's mouth. The Leech Seed attacked his hands, and he tensed and cringed, pulling back, feeling his palms throb. He looked over, and gasped as Quagsire's eyes were open. The Pokemon was blankly staring, but it was the first time Marleon had seen him open his eyes. The staff gasped as well, "He's awake!", they said. Marleon reached over and gave Quagsire's head a rub, avoiding the vines. "He always loved the mango ones...", he said, before looking deep into Quagsire's eyes, "Quagsire...I'm sorry that you're suffering like this. Just...just hold on a little longer. We'll get you through this. We're going to beat it."

The Pokemon gulped, swallowing down the puff, and then, Marleon watched him close his eyes and drift back to sleep. He stood and went to the door. "Where are you going?", one of the staff members asked him. Marleon stopped, and looked back. "I'll do whatever it takes to rid Quagsire of this pain. I'm going to the library. There's got to be something we can do for him, something better than this."


	10. Chapter 10 - Submission

-Chapter 10-

 **Submission**

The Stan Lee Public Library was close by, not a particularly large one, but it was full of information that any aspiring Pokemon master could utilize. It made sense that it was near the Team Mystic headquarters too, and that most of those who were studying inside its walls were wearing blue. There were a few Valors and Instincts there as well, of course, but not nearly as many as there were Mystics. Marleon never got around to finding out who the library was named after, but he always assumed it was someone who lived on Rain Dance Island before he made the island his home. He figured whoever Stan Lee was, he must have been someone important to have a library named after him.

He entered in and began to browse the catalog for a book that would help him find a cure to Quagsire's Leech Seed situation. He eventually decided on a few books with general information on grass-type Pokemon, and he would start there. After a little searching on the shelves, he found the books he was looking for, and started to find somewhere to sit when he noticed a familiar face. There were private rooms along the wall of the building where one could sit and read without too much distraction, and inside one of them was Garrett, the Team Mystic leader, with his face buried in an old encyclopedia. Marleon noticed a pile of books next to him, and several others open to various pages that were scattered along the table he sat at in the room. He would have left Garrett alone to his studies, but he remembered he had something to give the Mystic leader, so he walked up with his couple of books and tapped on the door. Garrett looked up and grinned, motioning Marleon to come in.

"Gyarados! How're ya doing? Long time no see!", Garrett said as Marleon entered and closed the door. The former gym leader chuckled, "A day I believe. Not sure if that counts as a 'long time'.", he replied. Garrett snickered as Marleon sat across the table from him, "Huh, grass Pokemon? Not like you to be interested in those, unless there's some water and grass type that you're interested in catching.", he said. Marleon shook his head, "Actually trying to find some information on Leech Seed. One of my old Pokemon has a very bad case of it, and I need to find a cure." "A cure? Leech Seed should have just fallen off of the Pokemon after about 12 hours. Sounds like a modified species of it.", Garrett said. Marleon nodded, "As far as I know, it was something Team Rocket did with a Serperior."

"Damn! That's a bummer! Well hey, if you'd like me to, I can put a research team on it. Maybe you could bring the Pokemon to the Team Mystic headquarters and they can see what they can do.", Garrett offered. Marleon sighed, "I appreciate the help, but moving Quagsire would be difficult. He's already in too much pain. Maybe V would let your team stop by Team Instinct to look at him." Garrett grimaced, "Ah...I'm not sure about that. She's not entirely too happy with us right now." Marleon crossed his arms, "I'll speak with her. Right now, I think Quagsire's health is a lot more important than this whole team thing." Garrett scoffed, "It's much bigger than you realize, Gyarados. But we'll see..."

"Oh, I have something for you.", Marleon said. Garrett blinked, and then his eyes widened and he stood at once when he saw the pristine blue feathers that Marleon pulled out. "That's from Articuno!", he shouted in excitement. Marleon chuckled, rubbing his ear a bit, "Hey keep your voice down, it's still a Library you know." He looked on the other side of the window and could see a female Instinct trainer and her Dratini both looking their direction. The rooms must not have been as sound proof as he believed they were. Garrett laughed a little, "Sorry...but wow! Where did you get those?", he asked. Marleon told the story about how Articuno led him to Seel, and how Seel was badly injured. He handed the feathers over and Garrett began to study them eagerly, "This is fascinating! And you said this happened recently?", he asked. Marleon nodded, "Yesterday." "So Articuno is definitely in the area! But with the feathers, we will be able to track it much easier."

Marleon cleared his throat, "Hey, I was wondering about that. Why exactly are you so interested in Articuno?" Garrett grinned, "Oh, because it saved my life when I was just beginning as a Pokemon trainer.", he explained, recanting the tale.

 _Garrett had just set out on his Pokemon adventure, with his squirtle, Gallant, and a recently caught Spearow. They were searching in the tall grass for more Pokemon to add to the team when a Venusaur was spotted crossing their path. Garrett did not know the Pokemon was too high of a level for him, and he threw a Pokeball in an attempt to capture it without battling. The Venusaur's instincts kicked in and it destroyed Garrett's pokeball with a single Vine Whip. The trainer sent out Gallant, but the Squirtle was easily defeated by the Venusaur's whips. He tried with Spearow but the bird stood no chance. When Garrett realized he was in trouble, he tried to flee but large vines sprouted behind him and blocked the path. The Venusaur approached, angry, and Garrett braced himself, trapped with no way to escape. When Venusaur sent out his vines to strike Garrett, he shut his eyes and expected a painful end...when the vines had stopped just short of the trainer. He looked and felt the air grow cold around him. The Venusaur's vines were frozen solid, and the grass Pokemon was trembling in fear. Above them was Articuno, who struck the Venusaur with a barrage of ice shards. The Venusaur retreated back into the forest. Garrett looked up to the bird, who was glaring down at him before landing. He was still trapped by the vines behind him, but Articuno approached and gave him an assuring nod. Garrett reached and pressed his hand into the bird's chest plumage, and he felt calm and inspired. The bird took flight afterward, leaving him a single blue feather._

"So Articuno saved you that day. It makes a lot of sense now. It must be your guardian.", Marleon nodded. Garrett blinked, "'Guardian'? What does that mean?", he asked Marleon chuckled, "I'm surprised you don't know about them. But every Pokemon trainer has a legendary Pokemon that is...oh how would you put it...spiritually bonded to them? I think I've read a few books on the subject, after I found out that Suicune is mine.", he explained. He noticed Garrett had an encyclopedia on local legends around the Fire Islands League, and he pointed to it, "Oh, you have one of the books here. Let me see that..."

He took the book and flipped the pages until he found a page titled _The Legend of Arcanine: How Arcanine Got Its Stripes_. "This is one of the stories.", Marleon said, sliding the book over to Garrett. "Interesting. It even says that Arcanine is a 'Legendary Pokemon' in the Pokedex, but it's considered to be more of a pseudo-legendary. Let me read it...", Garrett cleared his throat, and began to read aloud.

"'In the beginning, there were tribes that revered the Legendary Pokemon. Each island was devoted to a type of Pokemon, and had places to pay tribute to the legends. Lavatic Island had a large temple to honor all the great Fire type Pokemon – Moltres, Ho-Oh, Entei, Heatran, and Arcanine. The Pokemon looked down with favor on the islands from the place they reside, known at _Thrylikos Mons_ , or the Legendary Realm in common tongue. Of the legends that were of Fire type, Arcanine loved the humans the greatest and offered favors more commonly than the others. It would appear before them, showing its pristine, beautiful orange and yellow body. There was not a trace of black markings on Arcanine originally. One day, the Fire Islands were threatened by a volcanic eruption, as Lavatic Island itself was swelling with magma. The island's volcano was spewing fire already, and the humans begged the Fire Legends of the Legendary Realm for protection. But their prayers fell on deaf ears. Moltres was busy complaining with Zapdos and Articuno. Ho-Oh was not interested in getting involved. Entei and Heatran were preoccupied with other matters. The other Legends had combined their powers to protect the remaining islands from the natural disaster. When all seemed lost, it was Arcanine that appeared before the humans of Lavatic Island, and it entered the volcano and absorbed the heat into its body, quelling the magma and preventing the eruption. The Legendary Pokemon sacrificed its immortality, and was marked with the familiar black stripes we know Arcanine to have today. It could no longer return to the Legendary Realm, but it was happy staying with the humans it loved. To this day, each of the legends swear by a vow to follow Arcanine's example, and each human is bonded to a single Legendary Pokemon, who appears to them for matters of inspiration as well as protects them during situations of peril.'"

"So there you have it.", Marleon spoke, "There are similar stories to the origins of the Guardians, but the one about Arcanine is one of the most well known." "Fascinating...", Garrett spoke, "I wonder how they choose." Marleon shrugged, "No one has been able to ask them, but I'd like to know myself. I've had several encounters with different Legendary Pokemon, but Suicune has appeared the most for me."

Garrett looked at the feathers from Articuno again. "Thank you for this, Gyarados. You've done me a huge favor, we'll be able to track Articuno now that we have a sample of its DNA.", he said. "What will you do when you find Articuno?", Marleon asked, "No doubt capture it, right?" Garrett shook his head, "I...just want to thank it. That's all. Oh, and I'll be in touch about that Leech Seed situation. I think if we put our minds together, we can find a solution." Marleon nodded, and he left, returning the books he had picked out for the research. Once outside, he summoned Flygon, "Mind giving me a lift to the Rain Dance Gym? I'll point you in the right direction...wait til you meet your teammates.", he asked his Pokemon. Flygon agreed, and Marleon hopped on his back, the two flying to the other side of the island.

It had been a few hours after they had returned to the Rain Dance Gym. Flygon was becoming acquainted with his new teammates, and Marleon decided to relax and flip on the television. He was drained after today, laying on his old bed while the news flickered. The main story was that Team Mystic was now dominating the gyms on the island. They had done a good sweep of Mariner City, taking over several gyms that normally were always controlled by Team Valor. The numbers were a solid 20 gyms for Team Mystic, 7 gyms for Team Valor, and Team Instinct had 3. Marleon yawned and began to close his eyes, letting the television stay on while he napped.

Something woke him up moments later. "Hmm?", he sat up. Glaceon was nudging his back with her paw. "Glaceon? What is it?", Marleon rubbed his eyes. She pointed at the television. Marleon focused on it, and then his eyes widened. A breaking news story, as several trainers were crowded around one of the buildings of Mariner City. Perched on the top of the building was Lugia, the Legendary Psychic and Water Pokemon. The sleek legend was speaking telepathically to all those around, but it's message was muted while the newscasters were speaking. "We're now receiving word on Lugia's intentions. It appears that it is calling for someone in particular.", Cindy, the newscaster, spoke. "We are going to play what Lugia demanded.", Tommy, the other newscaster, spoke. The audio from the live feed of Lugia was now playing. _"Bring me the chosen one, your so called leader of this island! The one you call Gyarados!"_ Marleon's veins went cold, the legend was calling for him? What did Lugia mean by 'chosen one'? He quickly got up and got ready, "Come on, everyone! We're being called for!", he said to the Pokemon of his gym, and began to collect them all into their respective Pokeballs. Once his team of Red the Gyarados, Glaceon, Seel, Flygon, and Altaria were all secured, he darted out of the gym and ran to Mariner City.

The closer he got to that building, the more he could mentally hear Lugia's voice. He was nearing the location when Lugia met him, landing before him in the street with enough of an impact to crack the ground beneath it. The Pokemon exhaled, "It's just as I feared.", Lugia spoke telepathically, "The human is in fact cursed." Marleon blinked at that, "I'm here, Lugia! What's going on?", he asked. Lugia craned its head, "I was hoping you would enlighten me, what have you done to receive that aura around you?", it asked. Marleon blinked again, "Aura? I don't understand...", he spoke. Lugia grimaced, "Lies now, then? Don't test my patience. What is your plan with that dark energy?", it questioned him. Marleon shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about! Please, tell me what's going on!", he shouted. Lugia exhaled, and then extended one of it's wing-like hands, concentrating on Marleon. By now, the crowd had moved all around the two of them. Marleon felt a tension in his body, and he gritted his teeth and groaned, it was as if all of his muscles began to twitch uncontrollably. And then, the aura became visible around him. Marleon felt a surge of energy all around. A violet color to it, seeping out of his body almost like he was engulfed in flames. He held his palms up and looked in shock, "What...what is this? This... _power_?", he questioned.

Lugia grumbled, "I don't know what you were thinking when you made an agreement with _him_...", it began to speak, "But I have no choice. You are a threat to this island, and I will see that you are dealt with.", Lugia's arm was still outstretched, and Marleon suddenly felt his body begin to tighten from a psychic squeeze. "Forgive me. Your death will be as painless as I can make it."

Marleon's Pokemon popped out of their Pokeballs, and they stood between him and Lugia. The human was now floating about a foot off the ground, but with the Pokemon in the way, Lugia had to break the telekinesis and he landed with a thud. "Out of the way! You're interfering with-", Lugia began, but the Pokemon complained. Red was the most boastful. "There is no way I will allow him to live, even if you say he is kind to you!", Lugia spoke in frustration. All of Marleon's Pokemon came to his defense, arguing and pleading their case that their trainer shouldn't die. Lugia finally closed its eyes. "Fine then. If you will not allow me to be the one to end him, I will let his own kind do it."

Marleon watched as all the electronic screens on the buildings, the ones that normally had the scoreboards and the live news reports, all changed simultaneously. They now had an image of Marleon on them. But the former Rain Dance Gym Leader gasped when he realized what image it was. "Take a good look, humans! This man you wish to be your 'chosen one' is a criminal!", Lugia spoke telepathically to everyone around. "He is a member of the organization known as Team Aqua! He terrorized the lands around these islands for more than five years! They called him...'Barnacle Bob'!"

The photo showed Marleon in his Team Aqua uniform. He clenched his fists at the sight of it. He could hear the fellow trainers around him, of all three teams, chatter about the picture. They were recognizing him as the criminal he was for the past six years. "Why don't you show them that _tattoo_ of yours, too?", Lugia spoke. Marleon tensed, "I'm not with them anymore! I didn't want to be an Aqua!", he shouted. "Oh? So they held you hostage then?", Lugia questioned. The trainers were closing in on Marleon and his Pokemon. "Come now, let me end this for you. It will be much quicker if you allow me to do it. I'm sure _they_ would torture you.", Lugia spoke. The crowd got closer and closer. Marleon grumbled, and then said, "Red! Dragon Rage!" His Gyarados roared loudly and his eyes began to glow, as twisters formed and swirled around Marleon and his Pokemon. This prevented the trainers from getting any closer, and while they were distracted, Marleon recalled everyone but Altaria and hopped on her back. She took off and vanished into the clouds above, as the twisters from Dragon Rage settled. It would have appeared that Marleon had completely vanished. Lugia saw his escape, but only smiled. The trap was set. 

He went to the Team Instinct headquarters, and landed, exhaling. "That was close. Thank you, Altaria.", he rubbed the dragon-type's neck and returned her. He rushed inside, hoping no one saw him there. They'd probably come looking for him here, but he thought it could have been the best place for him to go. Marleon swiped his keycard and the door opened. But as he stepped into the headquarters, he was met with several Instinct trainers and their Pokemon, all preparing to fight him. "There he is!", a trainer called out. "Don't let him escape!", shouted another. The trainers began to close in when he heard V call out, "Wait!"

She stepped out from the crowd, along with a fully evolved Aggron. The Team Instinct leader stared into Marleon's eyes. "V, please, I didnt-", Marleon began, but V interrupted, "How could you? How could you join _Team Aqua?"_ Marleon gulped a bead of saliva. Team Instinct had turned on him as well. "It wasn't my choice, Vicky! They rescued me that day I disappeared! And I wasn't in a position to challenge them!", he argued. V clenched her fists, "My home, Aquifer Town...it was wiped off the map thanks to Team Aqua!", she said. Marleon blinked, "What? When?", he questioned. "Eight years ago. They summoned Kyogre, and a tsunami destroyed several small towns on the coastline of Sinnoh! My home town, everyone I knew and love...was gone after I left for my Pokemon journey.", tears were forming and rolling down V's face as she spoke, "Ever since then, I vowed to take my revenge on both Kyogre and all of Team Aqua. Even if that means I'll have to help Team Magma...I will not rest until Team Aqua is erased from the history books!"

Marleon stepped back. The doors were locked behind him. "There is no escape, Marleon! I'm sorry it has to come to this, but you're not going to make it out of here alive!", V said, as Aggron and all the other Pokemon around prepared to take the cornered former gym leader down. Marleon quickly summoned Flygon, and before the Dragon-type could adjust, he pointed to the door, "Flygon, Draco Meteor!" "Get him! _Get him!_ ", V ordered, and the Pokemon charged at Marleon. Flygon quickly formed several large boulders from the foundation of the building, and slammed them into the door. It caused a small explosion and propelled everyone back, even Marleon and Flygon. While a small dust cloud appeared, the gym leader wrapped his arms around Flygon's neck, and the dragon raced out of the building through the freshly made opening, taking flight.

They circled above the island, hearing sirens, and a broadcast informing all trainers to be on the lookout for 'Barnacle Bob', otherwise known as Marleon 'Gyarados' Takenawa. He could hear the mention of Flygon, so he had his Pokemon disappear into the Aqua Rainforest where he returned him. He had to catch his breath, and made his way to the edge of the tree line. He could see trainers running along the paths, thinking they might be able to find him in the Rainforest. Marleon wasn't safe here either. So at the first chance he got, he darted north toward the Oceana Coastline. He had a lucky break that there weren't any trainers close by when he did, disappearing into the tall grass near the beach, before making a run for the water. He ran to the first pier he could find, and summoned Red, hopping on the Gyarados' back. "Go, Red! Out to shore!", Marleon commanded, and the Red Gyarados obeyed, swimming as fast as he could, putting as much distance between them and the coast as they could. Marleon looked back, watching Rain Dance Island slowly shrink behind them as they swam further away. It looked like they weren't followed or even spotted. When the island was no longer in view, he exhaled and relaxed. But the gravity of what had happened hit him. He was an exile from his own home. He only hoped the word didn't spread farther than Rain Dance Island about his history with Team Aqua. But knowing the news, he was sure it was already too late for that.


	11. Chapter 11 - Dazzling Gleam

-Chapter 11-

 **Dazzling Gleam**

"Ma'am, he got away.", one of the Instinct trainers reported. V exhaled, and looked to the others around, "Let him go for now. I'd rather focus all our attention on the preparations for tonight.", she said. "Call QR Construction and get them to fix this wall while you're at it.", she added, and turned back to walk down the hall. She stopped and looked at one of the rooms, a dimly lit one, with stasis chambers much like those that Team Valor had. But inside the pods were high-level Blisseys, Snorlaxes, Machamps...even the amputee ones would be participating in the operation that would happen at nightfall. V let out a long sigh. It was going to be a long night, but she had been waiting for this opportunity for some time. "Rose...Garrett...just wait...just wait until we've painted the island yellow...", she spoke to herself.

Thirty minutes had passed, and Marleon rubbed the back of Red's neck. "You can slow down now, Red. They aren't following us.", he said. The Gyarados eased up, and the two of them were now coasting along. He wasn't entirely sure where they would go. As of now, Marleon assumed that no island of the Fire Islands League would be safe for them to go to. It would be a long journey to one of the other regions. He knew that firsthand, considering how long it took him to travel back to Rain Dance Island once his amnesia had vanished. Still, they needed a plan. He tried to convince himself that stopping at one of the other islands, maybe even Old Thunderbird Isle, just to resupply would be a good idea. But he didn't want to take the risk.

Wingulls were circling around their position. He watched them divebomb the ocean and splash, swimming up with Goldeen or Remoraid in their beaks. It was strange watching predation like this, but he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the fish that were becoming meals. After all, he was being hunted like prey just as they were. He closed his eyes, weighing the options. As of now, there was no plan that sounded like it was worth the risk.

A vision of Arcanine flashed in his mind. He thought that this would be the time he'd need a rescue from a Legendary Pokemon. He thought about that story, how Arcanine sacrificed something dear to it just to save the day. "Red?", Marleon asked. The Gyarados looked back to him. "I need to ask your permission for something.", Marleon said. Red looked confused, and Marleon took the sixth Pokeball from his belt. He showed it to the Gyarados. "I've been holding onto Drago...your mother...for a little while now. But I think it's about time we send her on. Would you give me your permission to bury her here at sea?", he asked. Red hesitated, but slowly nodded, letting out a low, throaty call in his voice.

Marleon smiled, and held the Pokeball out over the water. "She was always good to me. From the day we met, she was always by my side. I knew the odds were against us when she was chosen to be my starter Pokemon, but we pulled through, and were an extraordinary team.", Marleon said. He couldn't help that a few tears rolled down his cheeks as he spoke. "I'm going to miss her. But she's given me quite the legacy. And she lives on with her son.", he rubbed Red's neck. Red made another throaty noise. Marleon knew it was the right time. "Goodbye, Drago. I'm returning you to where you belong."

He pressed the button on the Pokeball, and then dropped it into the water. The splash was small, and he watched the ball silhouette flash and grow into a much larger shadow, that of a Gyarados. The shape sank and faded under the water, a few bubbles rippling on the surface just above. Marleon wiped his eyes, and then spoke to Red again, "Come on, let's go to Old Thunderbird Isle. I think we'll be safe there. It's been deserted after Mewtwo's attack."

He pulled out his Pokedex, which had a built-in map, to figure out which direction they needed to go. But before he could point Red in the right direction, the two of them noticed something odd in the water. Something glowing...it was giving off a pink hue. Marleon at once wrapped around Red's neck, "I've seen that before! Brace yourself! It's about to make a whirlpool!", he called, recalling the day that he disappeared. He remembered a light in the water just like that. However, the light simply grew brighter, and then to their shock, a large splash erupted nearby. Red and Marleon looked up and gasped in shock as a whale had breached the surface of the water and was hovering above them mid-jump.

It was no ordinary whale. It was a Legendary Pokemon, Kyogre! The legendary whale that Team Aqua revered splashed on the other side of them, and then began to circle the two. "But what is Kyogre doing here?", Marleon questioned. Finally, the whale slid to a halt before them, its eye glaring at the duo. Marleon watched as an empty Pokeball floated to the surface nearby, Kyogre looked at it, and then back at them. The trainer reached in and picked out the Pokeball, the one that originally held Drago. The water dripped off the now empty, open Pokeball, and Marleon looked to Kyogre, "I suppose I should take this back...didn't mean to litter.", he said. Kyogre turned to Red and began to speak in a high-pitched shriek. Red responded with a deep growl. Marleon was completely out of the loop, he couldn't communicate with either one of them. Red then turned to Marleon and make a motion like they were about to dive. "Wait, Red, where is Kyogre taking us?", he asked, but of course, Red responded with some more roaring growls. At this point, Kyogre began its dive, and almost without warning, Red followed. Marleon gripped the Gyarados' throat and held on, taking a deep breath before they went under.

He could see the silhouette of the whale glowing that strange shade of pink in the distance. Red kept up with Kyogre, and as they swam, there was another light that began to glow past the whale. He held on for as long as he could, that light growing brighter and brighter, looking much like a large orb in the middle of the ocean. Marleon felt himself begin to slip. He was struggling to hold his breath... 

"Master! Please wake up, Master!"

Marleon sat up and began to cough up water. That voice. He had never heard it before. He was weary, and it took him a little while to catch his breath. "Master! Are you okay?", the voice said. He turned and looked around, only seeing Red nearby. Marleon rubbed his eyes a bit, "...Red?", he asked. "Of course, Master! You can understand me now?", the Gyarados spoke to him. Marleon blinked, "I...I can!"

He looked around some more. They were on an island, but it was late at night. The ocean was glowing a vivid green, and they were sitting on a beach made of perfectly formed garnet stones. The sky was swirling with color, there were stars in the sky, but it appeared much more numerous and clustered than normal. It was as if there was zero light pollution in the sky, and he could see whole galaxies spinning. "Where...is this...?", he began to ask. Red slid a little closer, "This is _Thrylikos Mons_ , what the humans call the Legendary Realm.", he spoke. As he said that, Marleon's other Pokeballs popped open, and the rest of the team joined the two of them. "Are we where I think we are?", Altaria questioned. "Woooooow...", Glaceon was in amazement. "Master, are you seeing this?", Seel asked. "Oh Master, I was so scared!", Flygon quickly embraced Marleon and nearly smothered him, the Pokemon was still shaken from the events from earlier. "Urff!", Marleon grunted as he was pinned down. "L-Listen...we're okay for now. Kyogre brought us here...I don't know why. But maybe we can find some answers about what was going on with Lugia.", he said, finally standing up. "Yes, that was the most bizarre thing, Master.", Altaria spoke. Marleon quickly waved his hands to them, "Please, don't call me 'Master'. I'm not your master.", he said. Glaceon tilted her head, "What do we call you then? Aren't you our...?", she asked. Marleon smiled, "We're partners. All of us. You all are members of my team, and are all equals. I don't ever want to hear you call me 'master' again. You can call me something else, like... 'friend' or even my name, 'Marleon'.", he explained to them. The five Pokemon looked to one another. Red was the clear leader of them and he made the decision, "We will refer to him as Marleon from now on."

They looked deeper into the island, where glowing lights illuminated a forest made of gemstone trees. Marleon led the way, and the Pokemon all followed. Red and Seel could actually swim in the air, floating just above the ground. The rest walked behind. As they went deeper into the forest, the lights became brighter and more numerous. They could hear chatter, banter...it almost seemed like a bonfire in the center of the island. There were old pillars that looked like they were created ages ago, and little totems whose eyes let off a ghostly glow when they passed by. They made it to the center of the island, where in a clearing was a strange flame. The fire was burning a brilliant blue, but when they looked at it, they could see visions of Earth. It was almost like a portal they could look through, the images flashing. It was here that they realized they were hardly alone. To one side was the Legendary Birds – Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, who were all having an argument and pecking at one another. To another side was the Weather Trio – Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza, who were laughing and enjoying each others company. And near the flames were Raikou and Entei, two members of the Legendary Dogs. Suicune was not present.

Marleon and his Pokemon emerged from the clearing, and Kyogre looked over, "Ah, our guests have finally arrived! Welcome, make yourselves comfortable!" Marleon blinked again, he could understand Kyogre! "Th-thank you", he stammered. Rayquaza smiled, "I believe these are first timers. They must be adjusting to hearing our voices." Groudon stood and stomped on over, "Hey human! Show some respect or I'm gonna eat ya!", the large red Pokemon snarled. Marleon stepped back and bumped into his own Pokemon. Groudon then suddenly began to burst out laughing, "Ahahaha! I'm just teasing! Welcome, come sit!"

"Ugh...will those three ever stop complaining?", Entei muttered. The dog was referring to the Legendary Birds, who were squabbling. "That was my stick! I wanted that stick!", Moltres squawked at Zapdos. Zapdos jabbed with its beak, "Buzz off! I found this stick fair and square!" Articuno huffed, "Moltres, you'd just burn that stick up if you had it!" Moltres squawked back at Articuno, "But I wanted to burn it! I wanted the ashes!" Zapdos sat on the stick, "Well it's mine now!" Articuno shook its head, "Zapdos, give Moltres the stick back. It's clearly not-", but Zapdos shot a spark of electricity at Articuno, "Don't take Moltres' side! I'm sick of getting ganged up by you two!" "Yeah stay out of this, Articuno! This is my fight!", Moltres squabbled. The argument carried on like this until the three were tumbling on one another, slapping each other with their wings, biting and pecking and scratching. Raikou finally stood and shouted at them, "Shut up! All three of you! We have guests!"

The birds all turned and gasped at the sight of Marleon. "The human!", they cried, and the three raced toward him. "Oh cr-", Marleon braced himself, but the three simply surrounded him and seemed thrilled he was there. "Oh! The Seel is here too! How are you feeling?", Articuno asked. Seel wobbled happily, "Very well, thank you!" "I am glad! This human came right on time, no thanks to Moltres' humans!", Articuno spoke. Moltres flared it's flames, "I did not ask Charstar to do that! I will speak with him myself and tell him that practicing on wild Pokemon is wrong!" Zapdos seemed to move the closest to Marleon and kept brushing its feathers all over him, "This one is mine! It's on my team! It's my human!"

Kyogre floated over, "Actually, that one belongs to me. It joined my Team Aqua before it joined your team, Zapdos!" Zapdos squawked at Kyogre, "Like heck he did! See? He's wearing my logo!" Kyogre rolled its eyes, and glowing a bit, the human's shirt slid up. "Hey!", Marleon complained, but the legends could see the Team Aqua logo tattooed on Marleon's chest. "My symbol is marked on him. He belongs to me.", Kyogre made his point.

"You're both wrong.", Raikou spoke. "This human belongs to Suicune. It rescued him when he was young." Marleon blinked, "Wait...you're not talking about...?", he began, and Entei nodded, "I was there as well. Raikou, Suicune, and I were traveling and Suicune spotted a small human fall off a large boat. Suicune chose to interfere, and notified a Lapras pod who rescued the small human." Marleon exhaled. "Suicune did that? So...Suicune is my true Guardian Legend?", he asked. Raikou nodded, "Yes, that is correct." Marleon smiled, "I knew it! Where is Suicune anyway, I need to speak to it.", he asked. The two dogs shrugged, "Not sure."

"Human, how are you liking the clones down there?", Zapdos asked. Marleon tilted his head, "What clones?" Moltres chuckled, "You know that is not actually the real 'us' that walks on your plane, at least not all the time. Suicune and Lugia are there now, but the ones that cannot speak, and just seem 'wild' are clones." Marleon crossed his arms, "So that's why...that's how...I've seen multiple trainers with each of you.", he nodded. "Indeed, we have Mewtwo to thank for the process. We think it's healthy for the humans to believe they truly own us. Think of it as...us lending our powers.", Rayquaza spoke. "Yes, well the humans like me the best!", Articuno boasted. "No they don't!", Moltres huffed. "No I'm the best!", Zapdos shrieked, and the three birds began to argue again.

As they continued on, a flash of light emerged somewhere in the forest. "Ah! That must be Suicune!", Groudon spoke. Soon the legendary dog stepped into the clearing, "Entei, I need to speak to you about-", Suicune began, but stopped when it locked eyes with Marleon, "What...what is _he_ doing here?!" "I brought your human here, Suicune! I thought you would like to see him just as the others did!", Kyogre spoke. "Kyogre you fool! He is unclean! Do you realize-", Suicune began to say, when Raikou interrupted, "It's quiet...why is it so quiet all of a sudden?" The dogs looked over and noticed the trio of birds were still, almost like statues. Their eyes glowing a strange shade of violet.

"Rayquaza, get Groudon and Kyogre-", Suicune shouted, but it was too late. The Weather Trio's eyes were glowing violet, they were still. Suicune looked back and saw Entei and Raikou cringing and tensing up, and then they too opened their eyes and stared blankly with violet eyes. Suicune was now the last one, and he glared at Marleon, who was staring at him, his eyes glowing, a grin on his face. "You...", Suicune spoke.

"Hello Suicune. It's been some time hasn't it?", Marleon spoke in a strange, raspy voice that was not his real one. "But how...how did you...?", Suicune trembled and began to collapse, fighting the mind control. "Shhh...it'll all be over soon. I have use of you.", Marleon spoke in that voice. All of his Pokemon were controlled the same way, eyes glowing violet, completely motionless. Suicune mustered, "Lugia...please...help...", before its eyes changed and it stood up and joined Entei and Raikou, now all of them under the spell.

"Pity that Lugia is not here. I would have preferred to claim that one without it taking much effort. Oh well...", Marleon spoke, and pulled out the old Master Ball he won from the Fire Islands League Championship, "I have my means of eliminating my nemesis." He turned and looked to his Pokemon team, "Come, my servants. Let us begin."


	12. Chapter 12 - Psychic

-Chapter 12-

 **Psychic**

"Good morning, Rain Dance Island! This is Channel 130 Action News! I'm your host, Tommy!", Tommy introduced himself, "And I am Cindy! We are reporting breaking news on the gym count, sponsored by the Law Office of Docket Deeds! 'Don't say neigh, call today!'"

A screen showed on the broadcast, the usual bar graph of the thirty gyms on the island. But to the shock and surprise of much of the island, Team Instinct controlled all 30 gyms! "In a landslide, Team Instinct has control of the entire island! Celebrations in Hydrofoil Town where-", the broadcast would continue while V watched, smiling. At once, a call came in. She looked at the call identification – Team Mystic Headquarters. V laughed, "Right on time.", and she answered the call.

Garrett's face appeared on the screen, and at once he shouted, "V! What the hell?!" The Instinct leader merely chuckled, "The look on your face is priceless.", she replied. "How in the world did you pull that off? We have the best defenders on the island! There is no way-", Garrett began when another call came in. V rolled her eyes, "And there's Rose...", she pressed to answer, and the screen split between Garrett and Rose, all three of them on the call. " _My beautiful gyms! What have you done to my beautiful gyms?!_ " Rose cried. Garrett backed up from the screen, "Clearly V and Team Instinct just stole the whole island! We had an agreement!", he spoke. V slammed her hands on the desk, "And I'm supposed to just sit back and watch you two squabble while you _both_ have fancy new buildings and the latest technology? No, no more agreements! This is war! We claimed the gyms flawlessly at four in the morning, and each one is assigned with the perfect team of maxed defenders. We have been saving them for the right moment to strike, and-", V began, when she noticed the bar graph starting to go down from 30 to 29 gyms.

"Good! Looks like my Mystics are up early. Well, you've picked the wrong team leader to fight with! Any moment Team Mystic will reclaim those gyms and-", Garrett began when Rose butted in, "Like hell Team _Mistake_ will! I will take the whole island for Team Valor! Those gyms belong to us!" The tally continued to go down, now down to 25 gyms for Team Instinct. However, the Valor and Mystic tallies didn't rise. "Any minute now-", Garrett said, when someone off screen shouted, "Garrett! We just sighted Articuno!" "What?! Where?", Garrett rushed off screen. The tally continued to go down. "V! Listen! I'll make you a deal! Why don't you and I take out Team Mystic? We can-", Rose began to say while Garrett was gone from the call, but before she could get another word out, an explosion caused her to hit the ground hard. "Rose! Are you okay?", V asked. "Ugh...I'm fine...what was that?", she asked, rubbing her head. "Miss Rose! The gym! It just got destroyed by Entei!", a Valor trainer called on the screen. "What are you talking about?", Rose asked, and ran offscreen. The tally was now down to 8 gyms. "All that hard work...", V muttered angrily, before she heard an explosion near the Instinct headquarters. "What was that?", she questioned, and went to investigate. There, she caught a glimpse of Rayquaza destroying the gym near the Instinct building. "Rayquaza? But...", she asked, as the gym toppled, and the green Legendary flew off.

V went back to the room where she had the conversation with the other two leaders. The call had been disconnected, but the news was still broadcasting. "And we just got word that Kyogre destroyed the last gym! This unprecedented event-", Tommy began, before turning and looking to the side, "Wait...you! What are you doing here?", he questioned, standing up from the desk. "Tommy, that's-", Cindy began, and an explosion appeared off screen. The two newscasters scrambled away. V watched the screen, as well as Rose and Garrett in their respective headquarters. The whole island was watching as the event had been broadcast as an emergency situation.

Marleon stepped into the frame, and then turned and faced the camera. His eyes were glowing a bright violet, and he glared at the camera for a few moments before he spoke, "Attention Rain Dance Island. This is Marleon Takenawa. As of this moment, you are all trespassing on my island."

"What?", Rose questioned. Garrett and V were silent as they watched. "I have an army of Legendary Pokemon that will eliminate anyone who refuses to vacate the island. I have removed your precious gym system, so you have no reason for staying on my island. I will give you three hours to leave, and those who are still present after the time is up will be destroyed." "That son of a-", V muttered. Garrett clenched his fists, "That's...that's not Gyarados. Someone's controlling him."

"As for the teams. I will give the strongest team the opportunity to face me in battle. As far as I am concerned, all three teams – Instinct, Mystic, and Valor, are not worth my time. I will leave it up to you to decide who will challenge me. The other two teams will vacate my island. You have two hours to come to a decision, and I will meet you at the Beachside Arena for this final battle. I will leave no survivors, so if you value your pathetic lives, all three teams will evacuate.", and Marleon raised his hand toward the camera, "Your time begins now. Leave my island if you want to keep your worthless lives.", and a bright violet emitted from his palm and then the news feed was cut.

V watched the white noise for a few moments. The Instinct trainers rushed in, "V! What do you want to do?", they asked. V flicked her hair, and then glared at them, "Our work isn't done here. Kyogre is one of the Pokemon he has.", she said. "But V...he'll kill us!", another Instinct spoke. She went over and grabbed the trainer, pulling him close by the shirt, "I'll kill him before he gets the chance! He's still a Team Aqua! This is clearly Kyogre's doing!", she let go, "Come on, we're going to that arena!" She stepped out to meet the rest of the Team Instinct trainers, _"No shelter from the storm!"_

Rose was already packing her supplies. "Rose! Please! We can't face him!", a Valor trainer pleaded, but she turned and grinned, "If that's your attitude, then you're free to leave Team Valor at once. You can't call yourself a Valor!" The trainer blinked, "But..." Rose crossed her arms, "We've been given the perfect opportunity to prove ourselves as the best team! Because we _are_ the best team! We've been dominating on this island for a long time, and I'm not going to let anyone, not even Marleon Takenawa, tell us otherwise!" She stepped out and met the rest of the Valor trainers, "Whose ready to prove themselves?", she rallied the trainers, " _In the darkest night, we are the flame!"_

Garrett was grumbling. He slammed his hands into the desk and exhaled long and slow. "Mind control...", he began to say. "Marleon is being held prisoner, mind control! That's gotta be it!", he stepped out and met the other Mystic trainers. _"Team Mystic! Prepare for the arena!_ ", he announced. The trainers looked to one another, "Sir, is that wise?", they questioned him. "No excuses! We have something the other teams don't have. _Wisdom over Instinct, Calm over Valor!_ And we have a friend to save!", he spoke, "I have a theory, and I know I'm right! Gyarados would never betray us like this! I just met with him yesterday, he was acting nothing like he is now! Gather your best Psychic-type Pokemon, we're gonna go save the world!"

Garrett and Team Mystic arrived to the arena first. Their headquarters was the closest, and Garrett waved a banner bearing the Mystic logo so the Mystic trainers would gather around him. There were some trainers from Instinct and Valor at the location as well. V and Team Instinct arrived moments later, following a flag bearing the Instinct logo. "V, what are you doing here?", Garrett called, approaching her. "I'm going to kill him, and you're not going to stop me!", V shouted at Garrett. "Kill who? Gyarados?", Garrett questioned. Rose and Team Valor showed up at that moment, who was proudly waving a Team Valor pennant. She stomped over to the other two leaders, as the trainers now gathered in their respective groups, looking at the other two teams in confusion. "You two get out of here! We've got this!", Rose said. "No! This is my fight! Stay out of it!", V responded. "I know what's going on! Let Team Mystic handle this! We're the most prepared!", Garrett spoke. "I'm not letting you take this away from me! Not after how hard my Valors worked!", Rose shouted. "For your information, Instinct claimed the whole island before this mess happened!", V shouted back, "You're not listening! Neither of you have a chance against him!", Garrett joined in on the screaming.

It led to trainers arguing with one another, each group thinking they were the one who was the most worthy to be present. They didn't realize that Marleon was standing there, watching over all of them. He began to cackle loudly. "Isn't this precious?", he pondered. "They all think this is about them. That they all...matter that much.", he was joined by the Legendary Pokemon, all gathered behind him. He crossed his arms while the trainers continued to bicker, before someone finally noticed him and the nine Legendary Pokemon. "Everyone! He's here!", someone in the crowd shouted.

"Marleon Takenawa!", V shouted, "Or should I call you...Barnacle Bob! I hope you're prepared for your last moments!" "V, enough! You're not challenging him! I am! Team Valor will take him down!", Rose announced. The Valors cheered at that moment. Garrett was gritting his teeth, "Stubborn...both of them are so stubborn!", he muttered to himself.

Marleon spoke, "Well? Who will it be then?", he asked. The Mystics were the first to shout _"Mystic!"_ followed by the Instincts with a _"Team Instinct!"_ shout. The Valors both booed and called out _"Valor!"_ "Such a shame.", Marleon shook his head, "Guess I'll just have to kill them all."

 _"Enough!"_ , a voice rang out that caused all the trainers to jump and look around. It wasn't from any of the team leaders. They watched as Lugia appeared and hovered above them. "Humans, I will distract him, but I want you all to leave!", Lugia instructed them all. The Trainers held their ground. "Go! He is too strong! I know now...the human did not choose it. He is being manipulated!", Lugia continued. "We know, Lugia!", Garrett called out. "What? What do you mean?", Rose questioned. "It's Kyogre! Kyogre's the one that-", V began, but she saw that Kyogre was among the Pokemon behind Marleon, who was also under the spell, "Wait...no...it couldn't be...", she gasped.

Lugia stared at Marleon, "I know who you are now. I fell for your games, and it nearly cost the human his life. But I know who you are...Kaoz!", it spoke telepathically. Marleon grinned, "Well now...you finally figured that much out, hmm? Shame...it's far too late now.", he spoke. "You might as well reveal yourself. Go on...show all of the humans who was the one causing all the chaos on this island. Show them...who is the one feeding off of their war with one another.", Lugia spoke.

Marleon stood still, but as he did, a set of large, wing-like hands were gripping Marleon's sides. The Pokemon slowly revealed himself, a Shadow Lugia with distinctive violet eyes and a smug grin on his muzzle. Shadow Lugia looked much like regular Lugia, but with inverse coloration – dark skin, a creamy white belly, and white around the eyes. Kaoz spoke telepathically as well, but Marleon spoke in unison, "Now they know...but you are far too late. They will not dare challenge me, while they continue to fight one another. Such a shame that it took this long for me to grow my strength, but I will enjoy my fun as I claim this realm for my own." The leaders were speechless. Lugia grimaced, "You fool. You don't realize what you are doing.", it spoke. Kaoz craned his head and smiled, "The prophecy was very clear."

"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Rose questioned. V was the one to recite it, "Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice or lightning, lest these titans bring devastation to the water and the sand. Though the island's chosen champion returns to stop the fighting, alone his efforts will fail, thus Chaos claims the land." Garrett nodded, "I read that recently. But what does it mean?", he asked. Lugia chimed in, "It means that our adversary here believed the prophecy is foretelling his victory"

"Correct...", both Kaoz' telepathy and Marleon's lips spoke, "It's a pity that the volcano on Lavatic Island did not bring me closer to my goal...if Arcanine had not interfered, I would rule this land already." "Wait! The Legend of Arcanine is true?", Garrett questioned. "It is, yes. Kaoz attempted to destroy these islands before. This is another of his tricks.", Lugia responded. "But why? Why is he trying to fulfill the prophecy?", Rose asked.

"Why? _Why?!_ ", Kaoz' grin faded, "Too long have I been lurking in the shadows, not in my rightful place! I deserve my place in _Thrylikos Mons!_ But they have refused to allow me into the realm! They've pushed me aside for too long! Ignored me! Well, they cannot ignore me any longer!", he spread his wings and the nine mind-controlled legends roared in unison. "Lugia...you have been a thorn in my side for too long. Once I eliminate you, well then...", Kaoz began to say. Lugia shouted, "You _fool!_ You have no idea what will happen to the world if you carry on! If any one of the Legendary Pokemon is lost, the entire world will tear itself apart!"

"Enough of this! I am getting tired of your muttering!", Kaoz scoffed. The nine Legendary Pokemon behind him and Marleon began to advance. "You have failed, Lugia. You cannot possibly hope to-", the Shadow Lugia began to say when a large boulder hit him in the head. He snarled and glared, seeing an Aggron with another ready to hurl at him. "You...you insolent-!", Kaoz snarled at V and her Aggron when he was hit from the other side with a blast of dark energy. "Why you!", Kaoz looked the other way, seeing Rose and her Tyranitar charging up. He was finally hit from behind by a Hydro Pump coming from a Blastoise. Garrett and Gallant had gotten another blow on the Shadow Lugia.

"Why...why are they...working together?", Kaoz questioned. "They hate one another! They should be-" Lugia grinned, "You failed to understand the prophecy fully.", it spoke to Kaoz, "You forgot that it said that 'alone' the Chosen One will fail. The Chosen One has failed, yes...but he is hardly alone!"

 _"Team Mystic! Attack the Legendary Birds!"_ , Garrett called out. "Hey V! Who do you want? Dogs or the Weather Trio?", Rose called. V grinned, "Give us the Weather Trio! I've got a score to settle with Kyogre!", she responded, _"Instincts! Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza!"_ Rose smiled, then called out, _"Alright Team Valor, we've got the Legendary Dogs! Let's go!"_

The battle commenced, trainers in blue using their psychic Pokemon to pull Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos down and hold them steady for close-range attacks from their Pokemon. Team Instinct chased down their three legends, struggling to reach Rayquaza who was faster than most of their Pokemon, but predicting its movements, they managed to land some blows on it. Groudon and Kyogre were easier to battle. Team Valor used their fastest Pokemon to chase after Raikou, Suicune, and Entei. The dogs were full of stamina, but the Valor Pokemon were trained to take on that challenge.

Meanwhile, Kaoz and Lugia were battling in the sky, attacking one another with psychic attacks, bursts of energy slamming into the ground as they missed one another. Trainers and Pokemon had to jump out of the way to avoid the blasts. The two Pokemon waged war, landing some blows, but neither getting the upper hand. Aggron slammed into Kyogre, lifting the whale and plunging it into the ground. V's Aggron pinned the Legendary down. Meanwhile, Tyranitar was able to latch onto Raikou and force the dog to the ground. Garrett's Blastoise, Gallant, aimed and landed a Hydro Pump, connecting with Moltres and knocking the bird out of the sky. The battles continued, the trainers' Pokemon becoming exhausted, but one by one, the Legendary Pokemon were subdued and pinned down. This left Kaoz and Lugia, both panting as they hovered above the war beneath them. "What's the matter...are you ready to surrender?", Kaoz questioned Lugia. The Lugia smiled, "Look around! Your legends are defeated! You are all alone!" Kaoz glanced at the battlefield, seeing the nine Legendary Pokemon pinned. _"No!"_ , he roared in anger. "What was the plan, Kaoz? You thought you had enough strength to take down all the Pokemon Trainers of this island? And what if you defeated me...what was your plan when Mewtwo, or Celebi, or Deoxys challenged you? Even I can admit that there are Legendary Pokemon far more powerful than I am!", Lugia spoke. Kaoz was silent. Lugia tilted its head, "You didn't have a plan, did you? You were going to destroy the harmony of the world...all for _nothing!_ " Lugia opened its maw and began to charge another beam.

Kaoz pulled Marleon and held him between the two of them using telekinesis. Lugia was forced to unleash the beam, but purposefully missed. "You're willing to sacrifice him? After all he did to get you where you are?", Lugia questioned. Kaoz grinned. "The human is meaningless to me. He was the perfect one for the task. Far too kind. Far too _stupid_ to realize the other humans just used him for their own personal gain. He was too easy to take over. I had to guide him, yes...give him a reason to look for _Thrylikos Mons_ , so that he would infiltrate. Suicune nearly ruined the plan, but it was too late.", Kaoz spoke, looking at the human before him. Marleon's eyes ceased to glow violet, and be drooped a bit, still hovering. He wearily looked up and stared into Lugia's eyes, "Lu...gia...help me...please...", Marleon could only muster a few words, before Kaoz spoke, "So weak...well, he has used up his usefulness." The moment he finished speaking, the Shadow Lugia propelled Marleon to the ground. _"No! Marleon!"_ , V cried out. _"Someone grab him!"_ , Rose shouted.

Marleon plummeted to the ground, but then his momentum stopped just before impact. Garrett sighed, "Well done! Well done, everyone!" The Psychic pokemon around used their combined powers to stop Marleon's fall just in time, as his own Pokemon team, who had been freed of the manipulation, rushed to catch him. Red was the first to catch Marleon, followed by Altaria and Flygon who helped ease him to a comfortable spot on the Gyarados' coils. Glaceon and Seel were there as well. They assured the trainers around that Marleon was safe.

"It's over, Kaoz! You've lost!", Lugia spoke. Kaoz looked around, realizing the battle was over. He had lost the link to the Legendary Pokemon he had mind controlled, as he had lost his concentration during the battle. Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou all stood, free from the manipulation. Kaoz, in desperation, spoke, "I may have lost this war...but I won't quit until I have made progress! If that means eliminating you, and...sending this world into disarray...then so be it!", and he moved his arm. Marleon felt something move in his pocket, as the Master Ball slipped out and went on a trajectory toward Lugia. The Psychic Legend quickly used his own telekinetic powers to keep the ball from touching him. "Grff!", Lugia grunted, using all of it's strength to push the ball back. "You're...you're crafty finding that ball...I'll give you that...but I won't let it capture me!", Lugia groaned. Kaoz was attempting to push the ball closer to Lugia. If it connected, Lugia would be trapped and it would result in the beginnings of a downward spiral for the harmony of the world.

"Why...won't you...accept your fate?", Kaoz muttered. Lugia was desperately repelling the ball, the two at a standstill. "Dragonite! Hyper Beam!", Rose called out. "What?", Kaoz glared and watched as the Dragonite unleashed a devastating beam of energy. Kaoz had to move to avoid it, and the Master Ball got a little closer to him instead of Lugia. "Everyone, ranged attacks on the Shadow Lugia!", V commanded, not just talking to Team Instinct, but talking to every Pokemon trainer in earshot. "Come on, let's work together to take him down!", Garrett added. Rose pointed at Kaoz, "There's our target! Mystics, Instincts, Valors! Fire!"

The Pokemon trainers shouted their commands, and their Pokemon obeyed and unleashed a barrage of ranged attacks, including Hydro Pumps, Flame Wheels, Solar Beams and Psybeams. Kaoz watched as a variety of attacks were coming after him, and he had to break the telekinesis and began to flee. _"Oh no you don't!"_ , Lugia shouted telepathically, and sent the Master Ball after Kaoz. The Shadow Lugia turned just in time to watch the ball graze his tail, and he let out an awful scream as the ball opened and sucked him in. The ball dropped and rolled to a halt on the ground, not wiggling, just settling. Lugia exhaled, and slowly descended, landing close to Marleon and his Pokemon. Garrett, V, and Rose ran up to see Marleon. "Gyarados! Are you okay?", Rose asked. V embraced him in a hug, and Marleon grunted, "Easy! Easy...", he exhaled. V pulled back, and he gave them all a thumbs up. "Just...got a bad headache...let me rest for a while.", he said, leaning back on Red's coils. Garrett smiled, "Take it easy, Gyarados. It's all over."

Marleon looked at the three of them. "Wait...I thought...you hated each other.", he spoke. V, Garrett, and Rose all looked to one another, and then back to Marleon, "Hate is a strong word, you know...", Rose said. "Yeah, we just have our disagreements. That's all.", Garrett said. V laughed, "But we all have something in common...we worked together because of you."


	13. Chapter 13 - Synthesis

-Chapter 13-

 **Synthesis**

While Marleon rested with his Pokemon, the fellow Pokemon trainers began to congratulate one another on the victory. Mystics shaking hands with Valors, Instincts laughing happily. They all were impressed with their Pokemon's powers. The Legendary Pokemon relaxed as well, still recovering from the mental manipulation. Anthony was in the crowd, with Sol and Luna by his side. "Rose!", he called out for his daughter. "Dad!", Rose called back, and ran to embrace her father. Lugia went over to them, smiling pleasantly, "She is perhaps one of the strongest humans I have ever met, not only for her dedication to her fellow trainers, but her passion in life. I hope you are as proud as I am of her.", Lugia spoke to Anthony. The man nodded and rubbed Rose's back, "She is the strongest person I know. She gets it from her mother." "Dad! Don't embarrass me in front of Lugia!", Rose bumped his chest with a fist. Entei approached, looking at the two of them. "Mmm...Entei wishes me to inform you both that it will be close by, watching and protecting both of you. 'I will be there in the darkest of nights to light your way.'", Lugia spoke on behalf of Entei. Rose laughed, "That sounds like the Team Valor motto!"

"Oh my heavens!", Garrett was admiring Articuno, walking all around the bird, "M-may I...?", he asked permission. Articuno clicked its beak, and before it realized, Garrett had pressed his face into the bird's chest plumage. The bird blinked a little, but then wrapped a wing around Garrett and sighed contently. Lugia chuckled, "So I am to assume your search for Articuno has concluded, correct?", it spoke to Garrett. "Yes...I've waited a long time for this day to come.", Garrett said, and looked up to Articuno. "Thank you. For being my Guardian!" Lugia smiled, "Ah...Articuno, please do not let it go to your head. But enjoy your moment with your favorite human.", and began to walk away. Garrett looked back at Lugia, and then looked up to Articuno, "I'm...your favorite?!"

"You...", V's palm was trembling. She stared at Kyogre, who was resting there, glaring back at her. The Team Instinct leader approached. "V! What are you going to do?", Rose asked. "I'm going to-", V began, when Lugia approached. "Listen, human. I know what you are feeling. The pain of losing loved ones...it is a burden none of us would wish to experience.", Lugia spoke, "But...it is not the first time Kyogre has been controlled. Please, do not fault it for the evils of the world." V hesitated, staring deep into Kyogre's eyes. "Kyogre...", V began to say, and approached the whale, raising her fist as if she was about to strike the Legendary...but then rested her palm on Kyogre's head. "I...I forgive you..." She collapsed and pressed onto Kyogre's head, sobbing, mourning. The Legend closed its eyes and began to nuzzle into her body, trying to comfort her.

Marleon finally stood, leaning on Flygon. He was sore after the experience, but he spoke, "What...what happened to Kaoz?" The trainers looked around, before one of the Mystic trainers had found the Master Ball and brought it to Marleon. He held the ball in his hand, and Lugia approached him once again. "May I make a suggestion on what to do with him?", the Pokemon asked. Marleon shook his head, "No...no I know what I'd like to do. Would you...please ask the other Legends to meet me at my old gym? I want to speak with him.", he replied. Lugia tilted its head, "Are you sure? That is risky...he could...", but Marleon smiled, "No. He won't be a threat any longer. But please...let me speak with him."

Lugia exhaled. "As you wish then, human. I hope you know what you are doing."

* * *

The teams had dispersed, and Marleon, Rose, V, and Garrett, along with Lugia and the nine Legends, arrived at the Rain Dance Gym. When everyone was in place, Marleon pressed the button on the Master Ball, and released Kaoz. The Shadow Lugia slammed into the ground, looking around at the setting, before glaring back at Marleon. _"You fool!"_ , he spoke telepathically, and began to charge up an energy burst in his maw. Lugia began to step in when Marleon motioned for it to stay back, and then...he held up the Master Ball to Kaoz. "Kaoz! Stand down!", Marleon commanded. The Pokemon closed his maw, steam rising from his lips. "What? But how?", Garrett questioned. Rose thought about it. "Marleon! How many badges do you own?", she asked. "What? What does that have to do with-?", V began to ask, and Rose pointed to the office in the Rain Dance Gym. The wall of badges that Marleon had earned. Garrett gasped, "Wow! I never knew he had so many!" "I don't understand...", V spoke. Rose smiled, "Badges are tied directly to Pokeball technology. I learned this firsthand with Tyranitar. She would not obey me until after I had earned enough badges. The badges resonate with the Pokemon's capture device, and bestows upon them the victories their trainer had accomplished. The more badges they have earned, the greater the effect."

Marleon spoke, "I have earned 52 badges. And I had planned to add another 8 before the incidents that led to my disappearance." Kaoz grumbled, "Damn...damn you...!", but Marleon motioned for Kaoz to stay down, and the Shadow Lugia obeyed and began to bow before the trainer. "This...is so humiliating...", Kaoz muttered.

"I chose our location here on purpose, Kaoz. It's only us here. I did not want the trainers or the rest of the world to see you like this.", Marleon explained. Kaoz continued to grumble and snarl, glaring up at Marleon angrily while he was forced to bow. "Alright, as you were.", Marleon said. The Shadow Lugia rose and stumbled back a bit, "So...this is my life now...I am a slave...", he muttered. Marleon at once shook his head, "Don't you even think that! I'm not your master!", he spoke. Kaoz tilted his head, "Then what are you to me?", the Shadow Lugia asked. Marleon stepped toward him, "Listen.", he began, "You tapped into a side of me that I have never experienced. Yes, you're absolutely right, I am weak. I am too nice. I let people walk all over me.", he sighed, "I need you to teach me to be stronger. I don't want to be looked at as a pushover. I want to learn, and I think you'd be able to teach me to...well...grow a backbone as they would say."

Kaoz looked up to Lugia briefly, then back to Marleon, "And what would be in it for me, if I were to agree to this arrangement?", he asked. Marleon smiled, "I'll train you to harness your powers, and to use them effectively in battle. You've already shown me you are capable. I want the world to challenge the two of us, and prove that together, we are a force to be reckoned with." Kaoz looked back over to Lugia. "Lugia? Are you in agreement to this as well?", Kaoz questioned. Lugia exhaled, "If it were my decision, I'd leave you in that Master Ball and never let you see the light of day again. But...perhaps...the human is much more wiser than I am on the matter. And maybe...if the other legends and I are in agreement over your progress, we may consider letting you visit us in _Thrylikos Mons._ "

Kaoz closed his eyes and exhaled a plume of violet smoke. "So be it.", he spoke. Marleon grinned, and stepped forward with an outstretched arm. Kaoz stepped back, "What are you doing, human?", he asked. "Come on, you look like you need a hug after all of this.", Marleon said. The Shadow Lugia snarled, "Attempt to hug me again and I will not hesitate to eat you!" Marleon gulped, and then extended a fist, "How about this then? Go on, ball your fist up like this" Kaoz blinked, and clenched his wing-hand into a fist, reaching it forward. Marleon walked up and the two fist-bumped. "We call that a fist bump!", he laughed. Kaoz blinked a few times, "Mmmnnn...you humans are very strange...", he groaned. V chuckled a little, "I think the Shadow Lugia is already regretting the decision.", she whispered to Rose and Garrett. Rose smiled, "They're going to be incredible together." Garrett nodded, "I think everything'll work out just fine."

Marleon held up the Master Ball, "We'll talk a little later, then. Get your rest.", he spoke. Kaoz exhaled, "I still don't understand. Why are you being this kind to me? After all I have done to you?", he asked. Marleon lowered the ball. "I see potential in you. I see strength, cunning, and even some wisdom. I see mystique...instinct...and valor.", he began to say, then continued, "I want you to reflect on something I was told a long time ago. A good friend of mine once said, 'There is no success or failure, there is only progress.' Don't think of today as a defeat, think of it as progress toward your dreams. One day they will fear you, and also...respect you." Kaoz mustered a slight smile on his lips. He closed his eyes, and began to glow red, returning to the Master Ball.

"We will take our leave then, humans.", Lugia spoke. The legends began to disperse as well, but Suicune approached Marleon and gave his hand a nuzzle. He gave the legend's mane a pet, "Thank you for all you do, Suicune.", he spoke. The dog gave him a nod, and followed the others out the door. Lugia was the last to leave, and he spoke to all four of the humans, "Harmony has been restored to the land. It is thanks to all of you for your efforts today.", and then turned and took off.

The three leaders looked to one another, and then to Marleon, who was staring at the Master Ball in his hand. Garrett approached and put a hand on his shoulder. Marleon blinked and looked over to him. "So...what now?", Garrett asked. Rose stepped forward, "We need to rebuild the gyms. That's priority number one.", she said. V nodded, "I'm sure the league will help us with it. Maybe we can hire some extra construction companies to speed up the process." "Garrett...", Marleon spoke. "Hmm? What is it, Gyarados?", Garrett asked. "I have a favor to ask you, actually all three of you.", Marleon turned and looked to all of them, "Would you help me bring the Lapras pods back to the reef?" V looked to the others, then nodded, "Sure we will...but how?", she asked. Marleon rubbed his chin, "I think I have an idea. Team Mystic has the best database for trainer information, correct?", he asked. Garrett nodded, "Of course we do." "Right. If Team Mystic can get a log of all the trainers who currently have Lapras in the Fire Islands League, and they work with Team Valor to find those trainers...we should bring them to Team Instinct's headquarters and start breeding them. Instinct's technology is a little dated, but they have a full hatchery and they'd be the best for a mass incubation."

Garrett, Rose, and V looked to one another, "You want us...all to work together?", Rose asked. Marleon crossed his arms, "Is that too much to ask?" V smiled, "I think we can consider it a truce for now. How about it, you two?", she asked, putting a hand out. "Count me in. We'll have those Lapras back in no time!", Garrett put his hand on V's. Rose sighed, "Oh what the heck. Sounds like fun!", she joined in and put her hand in the pile. Marleon chuckled, "Team harmony.", he said, "...Team harmony..."


	14. Epilogue - Rain Dance

-Epilogue-

 **Rain Dance**

Six months had passed since that day. Rebuilding the gyms on the island took some time, and the locals agreed that they would wait until all thirty gyms were rebuilt before they would reactivate them and continue the war for the island. But in the meantime, the three teams were working together and the island was a much more peaceful place. The plan had worked, Team Mystic helped to locate the trainers who had captured a Lapras, and Team Valor went out to find them. The trainers who agreed to help brought their Lapras to the Team Instinct headquarters, and the hatchery had been filled with Lapras eggs. The eggs only had a little longer to incubate before the new pods would be introduced into the reef.

Rose and Team Valor helped to fix the Karp Cove Lighthouse, and she had some interesting experiences during her days. In the last few months, she had seen Entei three times, and after a long chase in the Aqua Rainforest, she successfully captured Entei. Of course, it was one of the clones, but she couldn't have been happier to add the Legendary Dog to her team.

Similarly, Garrett captured an Articuno clone, and with his lifelong dream fulfilled, he began to take it easy...that is, until he saw a beautiful rainbow bird fly across the sky and into a rainbow. Garrett decided it would be his goal to make a full team of legendary birds, and he had Ho-oh in his sights next. He began his research immediately after that day. Team Mystic also assisted V with finding a cure for Quagsire's Leech Seed. Marleon's old Pokemon had made a full recovery thanks to the cross-team efforts.

The Rain Dance Island chapter of Team Instinct was well funded since the events months ago, as the other global chapters of Team Instinct pooled their funds and helped to completely update the headquarters. As for V, she took some time off and went to her old home, Aquifer Town. To her surprise, the town was being restored thanks to an anonymous fund. She also had her own experience with Legendary Pokemon, and captured a Shiny Kyogre.

The islanders also worked together to rebuild the Rain Dance Gym. The building was now refurbished and was used by trainers for exhibition battles much like the arena was. Although the old gym system had been retired, trainers would still challenge Marleon for the Rain Dance Badge. With his new team, he had increased his win rate to 70%. The balanced water, ice, and dragon team worked much better because trainers could not assume he would primarily use water types. He also promised the winners of his badge that they would be able to participate in the Lapras Event...of course, once the pods had matured. News had spread worldwide about the events on Rain Dance Island, and after some planning, a special event was to take place on the six-month anniversary of the battle between Kaoz and the unified trainers of Teams Instinct, Valor, and Mystic.

* * *

Marleon awoke that day, yawning and sitting up. Today was the day. He stretched and got ready, giving Altaria a rub while she slept in her own bed nearby. "Hey good morning! Today's the big day!", he said to her. The bird-dragon opened her eye briefly and then closed it and wriggled in the bed. Marleon smiled. "Five more minutes? Alright...", he shook his head and stepped into the arena. Red was wide awake and swam over to him in the pool. "Morning!", he said to the Gyarados, who greeted him happily. Glaceon yawned as well, doing her morning stretches. Flygon was snoring in the stands, and Dewgong was just waking up as well. Marleon slipped into his office where there was an incoming call waiting for him. "Heh...guess they couldn't wait.", he said as he pressed the button to receive the call. The monitor split into three screens, he didn't realize it was a group call as V, Garrett, and Rose were all on the screen.

"Marleon!", Rose shouted, "Today's the day! I'm so excited!" "Easy, Rose, he looks groggy. You feeling alright, Gyarados?", Garrett asked. Marleon rubbed his eyes a bit, "Just woke up, but I'm good. I haven't had breakfast yet." V smiled, "You're going to do great today, you know." Marleon nodded, "I know he's been waiting for this day a long time." Garrett cleared his throat, "You're not worried about it, are you?", he asked, "I mean...he did try to-", but Marleon shook his head, "I trust Kaoz completely. We've worked together well these past few months, and he's been eager to show the world what he is capable of. No, there's no concern at all." "Good, well, if anything gets out of hand, you know we'll be ready to step in.", Rose spoke confidently. Marleon smiled, "Trust me. It won't get to that point."

They wished him good luck and the call ended. Marleon looked at the Master Ball on the desk. Kaoz preferred his solitude. Marleon let him relax while he got the gym ready. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, hello and welcome to the Rain Dance Gym! Please take your seats, the match will begin shortly!"

The Rain Dance Gym was filled to capacity, even with standing room. Trainers and spectators from all over the globe came to watch. The newly remodeled Rain Dance Gym was divided into a few different sections, including a section for each of the three teams. There was another section reserved for the Fire Islands Gym Leaders, and as they arrived, Ed announced their presence, "Please welcome our guests here to watch today's match! From Lavatic Island...Gym Leader Charstar! From Tree Root Isle, please welcome Vincent 'Violent' Storm! From Shadow Form Island, please welcome Gym Leader Desai! From Industrial Island, Gio! From Shadow Psychrome Island, welcome Morpheous and Kagome! From Terra Firma Isle, please welcome Psy! And finally, from New Thunderbird Island, welcome Mike Thunderbird!" The Gym Leaders all waved to the audience as they took their seats.

Once the time was ready, the lights dimmed. The audience cheered and distinct chants for Team Valor began. The Instincts and Mystics joined in with their own chants. The spotlight was now on Ed at his platform above the arena, "Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen! We have a special battle today! Today's match will feature three trainers versus one!", he announced. "Let's announce our visiting challengers! We'll start with...the leader of Team Instinct! _Spark!_ ", Ed announced and the arena's lights turned yellow. Spark stepped onto the battlefield and waved to everyone around, even giving a dab. The Team Instinct crowd erupted in cheers and the words _"No shelter from the storm!"_ rang through the building. The lights switched from yellow to blue, "And now...the leader of Team Mystic! _Blanche!_ ", Ed announced. Blanche stepped onto the arena, giving a short wave before she crossed her arms and stood there, patiently waiting. The cheers from the Team Mystic crowd were the loudest of the three during the introductions. The light turned from blue to red, "And our last challenger...Team Valor's leader, _Candela!"_ , Ed announced, and Candela stepped onto the field, waving all around. The Team Valor audience cheered loudly, then chanted _"Valor! Valor! Valor!"_ She gave Spark a fist-bump and a nod to Blanche.

The lights went dark, and then went a familiar shade of purple. "And now, Rain Dance Island, it's time to introduce your Gym Leader! A native to your island, and representing the Lugia Alliance, Team Harmony! His name is Marleon Takenawa, but you know him as... _Gyarados!_ " The doors submerged in the pool opened, and Marleon's Pokemon team appeared. Dewgong and Glaceon led the way, Glaceon was actually freezing the water beneath her paws as she ran across the pool, with Dewgong swimming gracefully behind. Above the pool, Altaria and Flygon performed an aerial dance for the audience, before they landed at the edge of the pool with Glaceon and Dewgong. And finally, Marleon appeared, riding on Red the Gyarados. The crowd cheered loudly for him, and he waved all around. He hadn't coordinated a theatrical performance with his Pokemon yet like he used to do with Lapras, but the entrance worked well. Once he hopped off Red, he and his Pokemon team posed for a few pictures before he recalled them all. The pool's hatches closed, it would not be needed for the battle. Marleon was also wearing a purple outfit, with a cape on the back featuring the insignia for Team Harmony. It featured Lugia similarly to the logos for the other teams.

The lights were restored, and Ed announced, "Challengers Spark, Blanche, and Candela, please introduce us to the Pokemon you will be using for the match!" Candela went first, "Moltres!", she announced, and the Fire Legendary Bird appeared and flew around the arena before landing next to her. Blanche went next, "Articuno!", she called, and the Ice Legendary Bird was released, who hovered next to her. _"Zapdos!"_ , Spark announced, and released a Fearow that looked around in confusion! The crowd clamored in both boos and laughter. Blanche shook her head and facepalmed, "Idiot...they're going to make you use that Pokemon now." Candela chuckled, "Really? Here of all places, Spark?" The Instinct leader grinned, recalling Fearow, and cleared his throat, _"Zapdos!"_ , and the Electric Legendary Bird was finally revealed, who glided overhead, giving Marleon a glare before it settled next to Spark.

The crowd finally settled, and Marleon held up his Master Ball. "Gym Leader Gyarados, please introduce us to your Pokemon for the match!", Ed announced. _"Kaoz! Let's go!"_ , Marleon shouted, and the Master Ball opened. The Shadow Lugia emerged and glided along the perimeter of the arena, glaring with his glowing violet eyes at all the humans in the stands before he landed before Marleon with a loud thud. He exhaled a plume of purple smoke and snarled at the birds opposing him. "Ready for this, big guy?", Marleon asked Kaoz. The Lugia looked back, "I've awaited this day for years...they're as good as dead!", Kaoz replied. Marleon shook his head, "No killing, remember? Just make 'em faint!", he reminded the Lugia. Kaoz exhaled, and glared back at the birds. "Hey, just enjoy yourself out there. You'll do fine.", Marleon assured him. Kaoz grinned, "Oh...I will! This will be most enjoyable."

"Challengers ready?", Ed asked. Spark and Candela gave thumbs up, Blanche nodded. "Gym Leader ready?", Ed pointed to Marleon. He gave a salute. _"The match has begun!"_ , Ed announced.

The Team Leaders began to shout commands to their Pokemon. Marleon didn't speak a word, and Kaoz took off after the Legendary Birds. Moltres and Zapdos teamed up attacking Kaoz, while Articuno held back and provided ranged ice shards. The Shadow Lugia evaded the attacks, though he got scorched by one of Moltres' fire blasts. "Which one first, human?", Kaoz spoke telepathically to Marleon. "Let's knock out Moltres first. It's the most aggressive of the three.", he responded, only speaking through his mind. "Interesting..." Psy spoke, "He's using telepathy to issue commands." "Wait, isn't that against the rules?", Gio asked. Vincent shook his head, "There's no rule saying commands have to be spoken. Gyarados has a good advantage there as long as the other three can't detect the psychic conversation."

Kaoz began to target Moltres, following behind the fire bird. "Alright, hit it with Extrasensory!", Marleon instructed. Kaoz charged up, as Moltres got into position to attack with Flamethrower. The two attacks connected and canceled each other out. Zapdos struck Kaoz with a Thunderbolt, and the Psychic Pokemon groaned and glared at the electric bird. "Kaoz! Focus on Moltres! We'll deal with Zapdos later!", Marleon ordered. Kaoz snarled, and charged up his Extrasensory again, connecting with it and catching Moltres. He began to clench his fist, the psychic energy squeezing Moltres and causing the fire bird to squirm and cry in pain. "Moltres! Get out of there!", Candela called, but Moltres couldn't move, and with a fling of his hand, Kaoz sent Moltres into the wall. The bird collapsed and curled, twitching. "One down, good job.", Marleon thought. Candela huffed, "Damn!", she returned Moltres. The Team Valor crowd went silent, those going for Marleon and Kaoz cheered. "Human, let me pick the next one.", Kaoz spoke mentally. Marleon nodded, "Who do you want, then?", he responded. Kaoz glided, glaring at the remaining two birds. "Zapdos. Going to be hard to get through Articuno's defenses while I'm being chased.", Kaoz requested. Marleon agreed, "Yeah, let's take Zapdos out next. Good thinking."

Zapdos was more reckless in its attacks, and while it fired off more thunderbolts, a few connected with Kaoz, but several missed. It struck Articuno at one point, who squawked angrily. "Spark! Control Zapdos, you just hit-!", Blanche began, and Spark snapped back at her, "I know! I know! Zapdos! Watch your attacks!" Kaoz grinned, "They're distracted...give me an order!", he requested. "Use Punishment on Zapdos!", Marleon commanded. Kaoz grinned, "Ohh...I love that move!", and he charged after Zapdos, easily outmaneuvering the electric bird before his grabbed onto Zapdos with his feet. He then began to spin, causing Zapdos to shriek and zap wildly. Kaoz let go, and Zapdos hit the ground hard, before Kaoz landed on it and squeezed the bird in the neck. "Zapdos!", Spark cried out, as the bird fainted. "You got it, let go.", Marleon mentally spoke, and Kaoz snarled down at Zapdos before glaring up at Articuno. Spark grumbled and returned Zapdos, and Blanche exhaled, "Guess it's up to me then. Articuno, Blizzard!", she instructed. Articuno charged up a strong ice attack, and unleashed a flurry on Kaoz. The Shadow Lugia was struck and hit the ground hard, one of his wings frozen solid. The Mystic crowd cheered loudly, chanting, _"Mystic! Mystic! Mystic!"_ "Good shot, Blanche!", Candela commended. Kaoz stood, his left arm slumped to one side. He couldn't fly in this state. "You've got him, Blanche! Finish him off!", Spark shouted.

"Articuno! Hurricane!", Blanche ordered. "Human! What do I do?", Kaoz mentally questioned. "Dragon Rush! Hurry!", Marleon instructed. "But my wing!", Kaoz doubted, and Marleon responded, "You don't need it! Take off with your legs! Go!"

Articuno unleashed the hurricane, but it was just a little too slow, and Kaoz evaded the attack, dragging his frozen arm along the ground as he rushed toward the ice bird. The crowd gasped and watched as the Shadow Lugia was able to get underneath Articuno with incredible speed, and lifting off the ground, he slammed into the bird, tapping into dragon power and knocking Articuno from the ground. The bird landed on its back and squawked, panicking, as the ice around Kaoz' arm shattered and freed the limb up. "Alright Kaoz, finish it off with Sky Attack!", Marleon commanded, and using both of his wing-arms, Kaoz took to the sky, before descending onto Articuno, spiraling and slamming into the bird. Articuno let out a pained cry and fainted. Kaoz used so much force that he stumbled and landed on his back, panting for a few moments. The crowd was silent, both Articuno and Kaoz were down. "Ladies and Gentlemen...we have a-", Ed began to say, as Kaoz stumbled to his feet, and exhaled a plume of smoke. Articuno was down, and with Kaoz standing, Ed announced, "I don't believe it, folks! Gyarados has won!"

The crowd stood and erupted in cheers and applause. Kaoz looked around, stumbling back a bit. "What...what is this...feeling?", he questioned. Marleon approached him and patted his side, "Feels good, doesn't it? They're cheering for you." Kaoz exhaled, "They...this is...for me?", he asked. Marleon nodded, "You just took down three legendary birds, all on your own. It's pretty impressive." Kaoz grinned a little, "I suppose I could get used to this.", and the Shadow Lugia spread his wings and posed for the crowds.

The three leaders approached after Articuno had been returned. "Your Shadow Lugia simply amazes me! He can accomplish anything!", Candela spoke. Blanche agreed, "Kaoz is a wonder! What a breathtaking Pokemon!" Spark smiled, "It looks like he can battle with the best of them!" Marleon chuckled, "He and I both have grown.", he held the Master Ball up, "Rest now, Kaoz, you've earned it." The Shadow Lugia looked to the crowd once more, before nodding, and he began to glow a bright red before being returned to the ball. Once Kaoz was returned, Marleon turned to the three leaders, "That was a great battle, you three...and hey...", he reached into his pocket and retrieved three Rain Dance Badges. "Wait, that's your gym badge...", Spark said. "But...we lost. I can't accept this.", Blanche said. "No, it wouldn't be right, we aren't worthy of-", Candela began, but Marleon put the badge in her hand, and then gave one to Spark and the last to Blanche. "As gym leader, I can give my badge to whoever I deem worthy of it. Besides...you took the time out of your busy lives to come here. It's the least I can do.", he winked.

The trio looked to one another, "Well...", Candela began, "If you insist." She held the badge up to the Team Valor crowd, and they cheered excitedly. Blanche did the same with the Mystic group, and Spark with his Instincts. All three teams brimming with excitement.

* * *

"Thanks again for letting me have my old job back!", Ed shook Marleon's hand once the crowds began to leave. He smiled, "Couldn't have trusted that to anyone else you know. Besides, I'm going to be gone for a little while.", Marleon responded. "Oh? Where are you off to?", Ed asked. "I'll be helping the three team leaders with some research, they asked Kaoz and I to stop by their global headquarters. But afterward...well...I never did challenge the Kalos League. I've got a set of badges to collect." "Great! Well, if you need me again, you know Lanturn and I are just on the other side of the island.", Ed gave a thumbs up, and he left. Marleon looked up to where the other Fire Islands Gym Leaders had sat for the match, and they all stayed. He motioned for them to join him on the arena.

"Good show, Gyarados!", Desai spoke up first. Gio nodded, "That was some of the best battling I've seen!" Charstar gave Marleon a pat on the back, "Ahhh I knew you could do it!" Morpheous spoke up, "The telepathic tactic was impressive. I may have to...borrow it for my matches." Mike Thunderbird stepped forward. "I wouldn't have given them the badges, you know...", he began, but shrugged, "But...that is why you're the leader of Rain Dance Island. You're every inch a gym leader as we all are." Marleon chuckled a bit, "I think it's the way we should all operate as members of Team Harmony. Show our strength, our wisdom...and our compassion." "I'm still cheering on Team Valor, you know!", Charstar chimed in. "Team Mystic for me!", said Kagome. "Yes, yes, we all know.", Mike smiled, "We all still have our respective favorite teams...but we all are working on maintaining the balance among all three. _Besides!_ Team Instinct is the best!", he boasted. "Oh come on! More like Team _Extinct!"_ , Vincent snapped at them. "Well at least it's not as bad as Team Vacant of Brains—I mean Valor!", Desai laughed. Marleon and the others all laughed, as the banter carried on for some time. 

That afternoon, Marleon locked up the gym and picked up his fishing gear. Glaceon accompanied him, and the two went down the path toward Lapras Lagoon. He was greeted several times on the walk, primarily by trainers who asked about Kaoz and their plans for the future. Marleon was happy to see a good mixture of banners flying on the houses of Mariner City, it would seem that Teams Instinct and Mystic had gotten a new following in the city. Likewise, Team Valor had new fans in Hydrofoil Town, and all the shops and restaurants welcomed all trainers under the banner of Team Harmony. They of course could have their favorite team, but there were new laws on the island that discouraged any sort of discrimination for team choice.

Glaceon stopped briefly, looking into the tall grass. "What is it?", Marleon asked, and looked. A set of eyes were looking their way, and Marleon reached into his pocket and took a Pokeball, throwing it and landing it on the head. The Pokemon was sucked in, but after two wiggles, it broke the ball. Marleon gasped. Suicune glared at them...at least one of the clones of Suicune, but before he could take another ball to attempt again, the dog ran. Marleon grimaced, "Damn...well...one day, we'll get it, right, Glaceon?", he asked. The Eevee evolution nodded, and the two carried on their way.

Marleon found his favorite pier, and cast a line into the water. He wasn't sure what he was fishing for, but all he wanted after such an exciting day was to relax and enjoy his afternoon. In the distance, he saw a small Lapras pod, only four of them, swimming along peacefully. It was a beautiful sight, enough to cause him to wipe a tear from his eyes.

"Just like old times...", he said to himself.


End file.
